Keep the Faith
by jetsfanforlyfe
Summary: COMPLETE When Troy is shot and killed protecting Gabriella, she must learn that she can live without him. She must learn to live and move on in the face of tragedy. Eventual Ryella
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. I also don't own West Side Story. Or Vault. Or 7-11. Or Coke. Or "Keep the Faith" by Bon Jovi.

A/N: Well, this is my third High School Musical fic. Tons of thanks to everyone who read This is How a Heart Breaks and Only Hope, especially those who stuck with me through Only Hope until the end. This one is plenty depressing, so if that's not your thing I'd probably tread carefully.

This takes place during senior year, during auditions for the winter musical. Gabi and Troy have been dating for a year. Oh, and we're watching West Side Story in drama class, so that's the play I used. And duh, Ryan and Sharpay don't exactly fit the roles of Bernardo and Anita, but deal with it. There are a few instances of bad language throughout the story, but not many.

Random Moment of the Chapter: This story was posted in honor of HSM being released on DVD today. YAY!

Enjoy!

* * *

"_Everybody needs somebody to love  
Everybody needs somebody to hate  
Everybody's bitching  
'cause they can't get enough  
And it's hard to hold on  
When there's no one to lean on_

_Faith: you know you're gonna live thru the rain  
Lord you got to keep the faith  
Faith: don't let your love turn to hate  
Right now we got to  
Keep the faith  
Keep the faith  
Keep the faith  
Lord we got to keep the faith"_

"Keep the Faith" by Bon Jovi

* * *

"Auditions for this year's winter musical, "West Side Story," will begin during free period tomorrow. All who wish to audition should be there at noon. Further auditions will take place after school," Ms. Darbus said as the bell rang and the class stood to leave. "Sign-ups are in the main lobby."

Chatter immediately greeted the end of this last announcement as the class stood up to leave. Troy Bolton gathered his books and stood waiting for his girlfriend, Gabriella Montez to meet him in the front of the room. She slung her bag over her shoulder and walked up, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and kissing his neck.

"Hey, babe," he whispered, turning around and wrapping his arms around her, leaning in to kiss.

"Hey guys, get a room!" Chad Danforth laughed, walking past the couple on his way to the door. Jason Cross and Zeke Baylor high-fived their friend, laughing along with Chad as they walked past Troy. The one in question broke apart from Gabriella, smiling at her before turning to face his friends.

"Yeah, you're just jealous 'cuz Taylor's afraid to kiss you in public," Troy replied, slapping Chad on the back as the four friends walked from the classroom.

Gabriella, Jason and Zeke all laughed while Chad held a hand over his heart in mock pain.

"That hurts, man," he said, pretending to be hurt. Troy laughed and wrapped his arm around Gabriella's shoulders as they walked down the hall.

"Hey! Are you guys auditioning?" Sharpay Evans asked loudly, running to catch up to Troy and Gabriella, her brother Ryan close behind.

"Yeah, what about you?" Gabriella answered, turning to face her friend.

"You guys go ahead," Troy told his friends, turning as well to talk to the twins.

"Who are you guys auditioning for?" Sharpay asked, adjusting the bag draped over her shoulder as they stood in the hallway. "I think you'd make the perfect Maria, Gabriella."

Gabriella blushed and leaned closer to Troy.

"Well, we are trying out for Tony and Maria," she said bashfully, smiling at Sharpay. "What about you?"

"Not sure yet. We might be auditioning separately," Ryan said, drawing a mildly surprised reaction from Troy and Gabriella.

"Really? That's-"

The warning bell rang, reminding them where they were.

"Shit," Troy said, wheeling around. "I've already been late three times, one more and I'll have to make the time up after graduation," he complained, saying goodbye to the other three and practically sprinting off down the hall.

* * *

"Welcome, welcome everyone!" Ms. Darbus said loudly, grabbing the attention of everyone in the theater. "Please, take a seat and we'll get started. Time is of the essence. We'll begin with solo auditions, Kelsi will accompany on the piano. You'll each sing a bar or two, and I'll tell you whether or not this is for you." She paused, looking out at the students seated before her. "Tomorrow afternoon, those who make it through the musical auditions will be called back to read scenes. Everyone got it? Good. First person up!"

Forty-five minutes later, they were almost done with solo auditions. Troy sighed as yet another person got up on stage, letting his head fall back onto the chair.

"How many are there?" he whispered to Gabriella as she lay her head on his shoulder.

"It's your fault, you know," she whispered, poking him in the ribs. "You made the musical cool."

Troy stuck his tongue out at her, resting a hand on her head.

"Alright, that's the end of the solo auditions. I'd like to call our first pair, Ryan and Sharpay Evans, auditioning for the roles of Bernardo and Anita."

Sharpay and Ryan stood up, clearly ready to go. They high-fived Troy and Gabriella as they walked past, Sharpay practically skipping onto the stage. Five minutes later, they finished their near-perfect rendition of "America," the other students clapping.

"Bravo! Brava!" Ms. Darbus applauded, standing again. "Next we have Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez!"

Troy and Gabriella walked to the stage hand in hand, ready to perform. The music started, and they started singing, everything around them forgotten. A few minutes later they finished, and stood gazing into each other's eyes, breathing heavily but exhilarated.

* * *

"Alright, team, championship game is in two weeks!" Coach Bolton said later that afternoon, standing in the middle of the huddle of basketball players, looking around at each one. "Now, most of you are seniors, and this is your last year. Up to now we've had a perfect season, so let's make sure we end it that way. I want to start today's practice with basic drills. Line up!"

He grabbed a ball and tossed it to Troy, who started the drill by quickly passing it to Jason. The drill continued with Coach shouting at the players every so often, giving them pointers.

"Alright, let's run some plays! I want the starters on offense, twos on defense. Let's go!"

An hour and a half later, basketball practice ended, the team dragging themselves into the locker room, exhausted and sweaty.

"Practice is at six tomorrow!" Coach called after them as they left the gym.

Troy grabbed a towel as he walked into the locker room, wiping his face as he went over to his locker.

"So, how'd auditions go?" Chad asked, pulling open his locker and pulling out his clothes.

"Pretty good. Gabi and I got callbacks for Tony and Maria."

"So, wait, what is 'West Side Story,' anyway?" Jason asked, tossing his towel in the laundry basket and pulling a shirt over his head.

"A musical," Troy said, laughing at the look on Jason's face.

"Haha. No really, what is it?"

"How about you wait and find out?" Troy replied, pulling on his jeans and shutting his locker. "I'm meeting Gabi for dinner, see you guys later."

He walked out, leaving his friends in the changing, Jason with a confused expression on his face.

* * *

The next afternoon, Troy and Gabriella were on stage with Sharpay and Ryan, reading a scene from the play. They were just finishing up as Ms. Darbus stood, walking to the front of the theater and addressing all who were gathered.

"Congratulations to all who auditioned, cast list will be posted tomorrow." Ms. Darbus closed her notebook, gathering her belongings and turning to leave the theater. Noise immediately filled the small theater as dozens of students stood up, talking to their friends and gathering up backpacks, books, and purses.

"You guys were great," Sharpay said, turning to Troy and Gabriella and smiling.

"You were, too," Gabriella replied cheerfully, returning her smile.

"Hey, we're gonna run over to the 7-11, you guys want to come?" Ryan broke in, walking up to his sister.

"Uh, sure, basketball doesn't start for a couple hours," Troy said, wrapping an arm around Gabriella's shoulders as they left the theater. The four friends walked from the school building, laughing as they started across the campus. The 7-11 was across the street, a short walk from East High.

"So, do you think you guys are going to get the parts?" Sharpay asked, slinging her bag over her shoulder as they walked.

"I don't know, what about you?" Gabriella answered, pulling Troy closer to her and kissing him gently.

"Well, I know you guys were amazing," Ryan said, pulling his hat over his eyes.

"So were you," Gabriella said, reaching over to hit him gently on the shoulder.

They reached the store, and Ryan held the door open for them to walk in. Troy walked directly to the drink case, pulling out two bottles of Vault.

"Ew, Troy, that stuff is sick," Gabriella whined, reaching for her own bottle of Coke.

"Hey, I like it," Troy said, tossing one to Ryan who was standing a few feet away. "It gives me a rush."

"More like an extreme dose of sugar and caffeine," Sharpay countered, opting for Diet Coke. Laughing, the four moved to the snack aisle, Troy and Ryan loading their arms with junk food.

"Typical men," Sharpay whispered to Gabriella as they watched Troy and Ryan walk up to the cash register. Gabriella laughed and the two girls walked up behind the others, both digging in their purses for money. Just as Troy set his food on the counter, the door flew open, revealing two masked men wielding guns. Sharpay screamed and the four dropped to the floor, covering their heads with their arms.

* * *

A/N: Cliffhanger! Hehe…you know you guys love it…

Reviews greatly appreciated. That was just a taste of the story, much more to come.

Coming in Chapter 2: What do the gunmen want? Who will be injured? Will they all make it out okay? Will Troy and Ryan go on a caffeine binge? LOL


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

A/N: Wow, thanks for the positive response to the first chapter! This chapter is a little bit graphic, and kind of upsetting. I would probably keep tissues ready for the next few chapters.

Random Moment of the Chapter: I wuv Zac Efron!

Enjoy!

* * *

Troy, Gabriella, Ryan, and Sharpay fell to the floor as the gunmen walked up to the cashier. The two men were holding their guns in front of them, pointed straight at the two cashiers.

"Empty the register!" the taller one said, throwing a canvas bag at the teenager behind the counter. She didn't move, practically shaking with fear as she looked at the two men. Her partner watched her, his face betraying his own fear.

"Do it!" the second man yelled, raising the gun even higher.

Gabriella clenched her eyes and clutched Troy's arm, drawing him closer to her. He held her tight, watching the action before them.

"I-I can't," she whispered, her hands shaking as she held the bag.

"What the hell do you mean, you can't? Just do it!"

"Listen, guys, calm down," the male cashier said, stepping forward slightly. "Leave her alone, I'll get your money."

"Somebody just put the damn money in the bag!" the taller one shouted, waving the gun erratically. At that moment, the sounds of police sirens split the air, startling everyone.

"Shit!"

"Who called the cops?" the taller one asked, wheeling around and pointing the gun at the customers. Gabriella trembled as the gun passed over her and buried her face in Troy's shirt.

"Come on, man, maybe no one called them," Troy said, swallowing heavily as he held Gabriella close. "They're probably not even coming here."

"Shut up!" the tall one shouted, shoving the gun in Troy's face. The sirens came closer as a cop car pulled into the parking lot. "Shit!"

"Come on man, we can get out the back, we gotta go!"

"Bobby, shut up! You don't get it, we're screwed already!" Slamming his fist into the wall, the taller one paused thinking.

"I don't want to go to jail, Drew, you said-"

"Bobby, I know what I said! And we're not going to jail, I've got a plan." He straightened up, switching his gun to the other hand. He walked back to the cashiers, pointing it at the girl. "You. You're coming with us."

"Whoa, man, come on," the other one said, stepping between them. "Leave her out of this, she-" He was cut off when the taller one, Drew, slammed the butt of the gun into his temple. His partner screamed, but Drew stepped around the counter, holding the gun to her head.

"Troy, he's going to kill her," Gabriella whispered, tears streaming down her face. Sharpay was hugging her knees, shaking, as Ryan tried to comfort her.

"Alright, this is how it's gonna work," Drew said, keeping the gun against the girl's head as he pushed her in front of him. "You are gonna go over there and lock the door," he said, pointing the gun at Ryan. " Now!"

Sharpay whimpered as Ryan hugged her, standing up and walking slowly to the door. He turned the lock, his hands shaking as he walked back to his friends.

"Alright, everyone get up here, now!" Drew shouted, nodding at Bobby. The younger one walked through the store, looking for any other customers. He walked back to Drew, looking at the small group of people in front of them. Besides Troy, Gabriella, Ryan and Sharpay, there were three young girls, an older woman, and the two cashiers.

"Drew, man, I don't think this is a great idea," Bobby said quietly, his uncertainty clear in his voice.

"Bobby, shut up! Alright, now no one's gonna move. Anyone moves, and I shoot her. Got it?"

There was a banging on the door, the sudden sound causing Drew and Bobby to wheel around.

"Open up! This is the police!"

Drew walked over to the door, still keeping the gun against the girl's head.

"Open up!"

"I'm sorry, officer, but I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Who am I talking to? Is something wrong in there?"

"Actually officer, we're all fine in here, but I have to tell you that, if you don't move away from this door, I'm going to have to shoot this lovely lady standing next to me."

"Drew, maybe we should turn ourselves in," Bobby whispered, looking around at the scared people on the floor. They had been sitting there for half an hour in terror, waiting for the two men to make their next move. Drew sighed, turning to face Bobby.

"Bobby, it's too late, don't you understand?"

"But Drew, we haven't shot anyone yet, we'd probably be able to cut a deal, we-"

The sound of a cell phone ringing split the air. Drew wheeled around, his gun immediately in his hand. Troy was fumbling in his pocket, pulling out his cell phone.

"Hey! Are you calling someone?"

"No, it's my dad, he's worried, I was supposed to be home, he-"

"Give me the phone."

"What?"

"Give it to me!"

Troy swallowed heavily, reluctantly handing the phone to Drew. The other man looked at it for a moment, before turning and hurling it against the wall.

"You called him," he said, turning back to Troy.

"No, I-"

"Don't lie," Drew said, cocking the gun and aiming it at Troy. Gabriella squeaked in fear as Sharpay clung to Ryan.

"I'm not lying, you have to-"

The sound of a gunshot spilt the air as Drew pulled the trigger.

"No!" Bobby cried, throwing himself against Drew. The gun moved from it's target, but the bullet still managed to hit something. As Troy opened his eyes, he looked to his left. The teenage cashier was leaning against the counter, her hand clutching her stomach as bright red blood seeped through her fingers.

Troy jumped up, ignoring the two gunmen as he rushed to her side. He helped her to the floor, gently moving her hand to see the wound.

"Hey, what's your name?" he asked, taking off his jacket to press it against the bullet hole.

"April," she whispered, her terrified eyes locking onto his. "Am I going to die?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Troy replied, smiling reassuringly at her. He turned back to the two gunmen. "She needs a hospital, she's bleeding all over the place."

"Look man, I didn't mean to shoot her-"

"Well, it's a little late for that!"

Gabriella slid over to where Troy was kneeling over April, taking his hand from the jacket. She smiled at the young woman, her free hand reaching to grab Troy's.

"Troy, calm down," she said, drawing his attention back to April.

"This shouldn't have happened, it's my fault," Troy muttered, shaking his head as he watched Gabriella press his jacket against April's wound.

* * *

An hour later, they were still there, waiting for Drew and Bobby to come to their senses.

"How is she?" Ryan asked quietly, making sure Drew was facing the other direction as he slid over to the others. Troy sighed.

"She really needs a hospital, she's losing too much blood." Even as he spoke, April's eyes began to slide closed.

"No, April, you need to stay awake," Gabriella said, shaking the cashier's shoulder gently. "April?"

"That's it!" Troy said angrily, standing up "This has gone far enough, someone needs to put a stop to it."

"Troy, please, don't do anything stupid," Gabriella pleaded, putting a hand on his leg to stop him from moving. "Please, just stay here."

"Gabi, I wish I could. But April needs to get out of here, and this has to end."

"No, Troy, please-"

"I love you, Gabriella," he whispered, crouching down to kiss her forehead before standing up slowly again. Sighing resolutely, he walked over to the two gunmen.

"No!" Gabriella sobbed, clutching Ryan's arm as he and Sharpay watched Troy approach the two men slowly. "No, Troy, please don't."

"Hey, Drew, I need to talk to you," Troy said, tapping the older gunman on the shoulder.

"What?"

"I want you to let April out of here."

Drew laughed, shaking his head.

"No."

"Come on, man, look at her! You're in enough trouble already, you don't want to add murder."

"Listen, punk, I've had enough of your heroics," Drew said, drawing his gun again and pointing it at Troy. "The only person who tells me what to do is me. Got it?"

"But-"

"This is the Albuquerque PD!" a loud voice shouted from outside the store, startling both Troy and Drew. "If you do not come out with your hands where we can see them, we're going to have to storm the building."

"Shit!" Drew exclaimed, looking at Bobby. The younger one was practically trembling in fear. "Bobby, look, I never meant-"

"I'm going out there," Bobby said quietly, refusing to look at Drew. "He's right, this has gone too far. You said no one would get hurt."

"Bobby, come on, you can't do this. I'm your brother, you have to do what I say," Drew said, his eyes softening slightly as he looked at Bobby. "You know I never meant to hurt her."

"Drew, I love you. You're my role model, I've always looked up to you. But I can't listen to you. Not this time." Bobby made to leave, turning his back on his brother. Drew immediately became angry.

"Don't do it, Bobby. It'll be the last thing you do." He raised his gun, leveling it at Bobby's back. The younger one continued toward the door, unfazed. Troy stood, shocked, watching the scene with a mixture of fear and sadness.

"Bobby!"

"I'm sorry, Drew."

"No, Bobby, you can't do this to me!" Drew cried, his anger overcoming his other emotions. He cocked the gun, his hand shaking as he aimed it at his brother. Bobby continued toward the door., even as Troy moved closer.

"Drew, come on, Bobby's right. Don't hurt him, don't-"

"I'm sorry," Drew whispered, closing his eyes and pulling the trigger. The sound of the gunshot rang loudly through the room, accompanied by a cry of pain. The entire store froze, and a body slumped to the ground.

* * *

A/N: Cliffhanger! Who was shot? You have to wait till next chapter to find out!

Reviews greatly appreciated as always.

Coming in Chapter 3: Who was shot? Was it Troy? Or Bobby? Or did Drew kill himself? Oh, the possibilities!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

A/N: Wow, sorry this took so long. Saturday I was at Six Flags Great Adventure all day for a Teddy Geiger concert. Sunday I was at play rehearsals and dinner with my grandparents all day. Monday I was at a picnic all day. Yesterday I had the academic awards dinner at school. Wow, you really didn't need to know all that. Anyway, sorry for the delay. Hope you enjoy chapter 3!

WARNING: this chapter deals with suicide, violence, death, and the like. You have been warned.

I threw some medical stuff into this chapter, but you don't really need to understand it to get the gist of what is happening.

Random Moment of the Chapter: I LOVE TEDDY GEIGER!

Enjoy!

* * *

"I'm sorry," Drew whispered, closing his eyes and pulling the trigger. The sound of the gunshot rang loudly through the room, accompanied by a cry of pain. The entire store froze, and a body slumped to the ground.

Gabriella screamed, her hand flying to her mouth as she stared wide-eyed at the body. Sharpay was sobbing, and Ryan was struggling to keep his composure.

Bobby was lying face-down on the floor, blood spreading across the back of his shirt from a bullet wound near his shoulder.

"Oh, God," Drew breathed, the gun falling from his limp fingers as he stared at his brother's body in shock. Troy recovered first and threw himself to his knees at Bobby's side. His hands shaking, he felt for a pulse. Sighing, he sat back on his heels, closing his eyes.

"He's dead."

Gabriella and Sharpay both sobbed loudly, hugging each other tightly.

"No, man, come on, he's not dead," Drew said, putting his hands on his head in disbelief.

Troy shook his head, standing slowly and walking back to Gabriella, pulling her into his arms and holding her.

"Drew, face it. It's over. Bobby's dead. Let us out of here, you don't want another murder charge on your hands."

Drew shook his head, biting his lip as tears filled his eyes.

"I can't, I don't-I"

"Open this door now!" the police shouted from outside, banging on the door again. Drew slid down a wall, his head in his hands.

"I'm opening the door," Troy said, standing up and keeping his arms wrapped around Gabriella.

"No!" Drew cried out, looking up at Troy and Gabriella. "No, you can't, they'll arrest me."

"Drew, you're screwed anyway. I'm opening the door."

As Troy and Gabriella walked toward the door, Drew scrambled forward for his gun. Taking it in his hand, he aimed it at Gabriella, his hands shaking.

"Don't move," he whispered, standing up but keeping the gun trained on Gabriella. Troy stood between her and the gun, keeping his arms around her.

"Drew, put the gun down. You've already shot two people, you don't want to shoot another."

"Get away from the door."

"Drew, you're upset, you're not-"

Suddenly the door crashed open as police officers spilled in.

"Put the gun down!"

Drew looked up at the officer, his hands shaking badly as he refused to lower the gun.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, closing his eyes as he pulled the trigger again.

Troy shoved Gabriella to the side, taking the bullet in his chest. Pandemonium greeted this, as Troy slumped slowly to the ground in Gabriella's arms.

"Get paramedics in here now!" someone shouted, running to the two even as Ryan and Sharpay did the same.

In the chaos, no one noticed as Drew put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger.

* * *

"We've got one dead, three critical, and a minor," a police officer said into his radio, standing by the door as other officers took the uninjured hostages out of the store. Gabriella was holding Troy's head in her lap, stroking his hair as she spoke quietly to him. Sharpay was holding his hand as Ryan knelt by them, pale and worried.

"Troy, come on baby, stay with me," Gabriella whispered, tears streaming down her face.

"I-I love you, Gabi," Troy whispered, his eyes slipping closed.

"No!" Gabriella cried, shaking Troy's shoulder gently. "Come on, Troy."

"Paramedics are here!"

Several medics hurried into the store, bringing gurneys and equipment bags with them. Two went to April, two to Drew, and two to Troy, while one attended to the other clerk, who was sitting against the counter, dazed and confused.

"Miss, you're going to have to move so we can help him," one of the medics said, gently moving Gabriella away.

"No, please, he's my boyfriend, I need to stay with him!"

"Miss, you can stay, just back up, please, let us work."

"You two need to come with us," an officer said, addressing Sharpay and Ryan.

"Wait, can't we stay with him?" Sharpay asked, looking up at the officer.

"I'm sorry miss, we need your statements. You can go to the hospital afterwards, it's procedure."

"Shar, come on, Troy's gonna be okay," Ryan said, standing and helping his sister up. "We'll meet you at the hospital," he told Gabriella as they followed the officer out.

"Pulse is 140, BP is 140/90."

"He's losing blood fast, we gotta get him to an ER."

"We're headed out, bullet wound to the head, barely hanging on," one of the other medics informed the officers as they rushed past with a gurney that held Drew.

"We're right behind you," Troy's medic said, hanging an IV bag on the gurney pole as they lifted Troy onto it.

"Can I come?" Gabriella asked quietly, her hand unconsciously reaching for Troy's. The medic nodded curtly and they quickly moved outside to a waiting ambulance.

* * *

"Bullet wound to the chest, close proximity to the heart. Two liters lost in the field."

"Started two IV's in the field."

"What's his BP?"

"120/70, and falling steadily."

The paramedics were unloading Troy's gurney at the ER, informing the doctors who met them of his condition. Gabriella followed alongside, keeping her hand entwined with Troy's.

"Miss, we're going to have to ask you to wait out here," one of the doctors said as they reached a room, bringing Troy in and starting to work on him.

"But-"

"It's okay, let the doctors work on him," a nurse said, putting an arm around Gabriella's shoulders and leading her away. She brought Troy's hand to her lips and gently kissed it, before turning and following the nurse out.

"Let's get two units of O-neg, and type-and-cross for six more! Someone notify his parents."

"I can't even see the wound there's too much blood."

"Start a chest tube, and stand by with an intubation tray," one of the doctors said, taking her stethoscope and listening to Troy's chest.

"Pulse ox is 85 on room air."

"We gotta tube him, we're losing him too quickly."

"Already 300 cc's out of the chest tube, page surgery!"

"I'm in, bag him and get a ventilator."

"Dr. Richards, his parents are here," a young woman said, sticking her head in the door and addressing the lead doctor.

"Alright, I'll be there in a sec, we gotta get him up to surgery, there isn't enough time for consent."

"What've we got?" another doctor asked, pulling on gloves as he walked into the room.

"Bullet wound with close proximity to the heart. Massive blood loss, we had to intubate and put in a chest tube. The chest cavity is full of blood."

"Shooter or victim?"

"Victim. Shooter's next door, bullet in his head."

The surgeon nodded, placing his hand on the wound in Troy's chest and watching the monitor.

"Alright, we've got an OR prepped, let's take him up."

* * *

"Mr. and Mrs. Bolton?" Dr. Richards asked, walking into the waiting room of the ER as she tossed her gloves into a trash can.

"Are you Troy's doctor?"

"What's going on, where is my son?"

"Please, I think it might be best if you sit," the doctor said, motioning to the chair opposite the one she was moving toward.

"Is Troy alright?" Kellie Bolton asked, gripping her husband's hand tightly.

"I'm afraid that Troy is very severely injured. The bullet entered his chest near his heart, and never exited. With the amount of blood he lost, and his condition, we fear it may have pierced a major blood vessel. One of our best surgeons just took him up to surgery. Your son is in good hands."

"Oh, God," Kellie whispered, holding a shaking hand over her mouth. Jack was struggling to keep his composure.

"Mr. and Mrs. Bolton?" Gabriella asked quietly, walking up to them from the hallway. She was returning from the bathroom, and had missed Dr. Richards' entrance.

"Gabriella? Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Kellie asked, looking in concern at her son's girlfriend.

"I'm fine. How's Troy?"

Dr. Richards explained everything to Gabriella, who sat next to Mrs. Bolton, watching the doctor.

"Is there anywhere we can go to wait for him?" Jack asked, holding his wife close to him.

"The OR waiting room is upstairs, fifth floor," Dr. Richards said, standing up and holding out her hand to the three. "I wish you all the best of luck. I have other patients I need to attend to."

She left after shaking their hands, leaving the three sitting there in shock.

"Gabriella, what happened?" Jack asked, looking at the teenager intently.

"We were at the store, and then these two guys came in with guns," she said, tears starting to slide down her cheeks again. "They-they shot the cashier. Then the older one, he shot his brother. I don't know what else happened, but Troy was on the floor, bleeding and-" she broke off, choking on sobs. Kellie wrapped her arms around the younger woman, pulling her into a hug.

"It's alright," she said, holding Gabriella tightly. "Troy's going to be okay."

* * *

A/N: Not a cliffhanger, but I didn't feel like any more cliffhangers. :D

Well, that was fun. Not.

Reviews greatly appreciated as always!

Coming in Chapter 4: What happens to Troy? What about April, Drew, and the other clerk guy? Or Sharpay and Ryan?

P.S.-For all who read my one-shot "Everything But You," I am currently working on turning it into a trilogy. I'm working on the prequel right now, it'll probably focus on Gabriella right after Troy left, and will probably be a song-fic to Teddy Geiger's "Air Dry." The sequel will be about Troy trying to get Gabriella to let him back in, probably set to Teddy Geiger's "For You I Will." Just letting you know!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

A/N: Hey! Glad you guys like this story so far! This chapter we find out what's going down with Troy. Obviously, as stated in the summary, Troy is going to die. Unfortunately, no amount of pleading will make me change my mind. Sorry :D

Sorry for the delay! I was in Hershey, Pennsylvania all weekend and just got back (with five pounds of chocolate, lol)

Random Moment of the Chapter: School's out!

Enjoy!

* * *

Gabriella was sitting in the OR waiting room, her head in her hands as she watched Jack wear the carpet down with his constant pacing. Kellie was sitting next to her, her face pale and betraying her worry. They had been sitting there for half an hour, waiting for any news on Troy.

The sound of running footsteps made Gabriella look towards the door to the room. Sharpay and Ryan were hurrying toward them, wearing identical worried expressions. Sharpay's jeans were still stained with blood where she had knelt next to Troy.

"How is he?" she asked, spotting Gabriella and running over.

Gabriella shrugged. "They haven't told us anything. He's in surgery right now."

Sharpay nodded, running a hand through her hair as Ryan caught up to her.

"How long has he been in there?"

"Half an hour," Gabriella said, letting her head fall back into her hands.

Sharpay sat next to her, putting an arm around Gabriella's shoulders.

"Were you two there?" Jack asked, walking over to the three teenagers and addressing Ryan and Sharpay.

Ryan nodded, taking the seat next to Sharpay. Jack nodded and resumed his pacing, refusing to look anywhere but the floor in front of him.

"Maybe you guys should go on home," Kellie said softly, following her husband with her eyes as he continued to walk back and forth. "We don't know how long it's going to be, or if we'll even be allowed to see him tonight."

"No. Mrs. Bolton, I'm staying," Gabriella said firmly. "I love Troy, and I want to be here for him."

"We're staying," Sharpay echoed, looking at Troy's mom.

"Alright. I'm going to run to the cafeteria then, and get us some coffee. Do you want anything?"

"No thanks," Gabriella and Sharpay said simultaneously.

"We're fine," Ryan said. Kellie nodded and stood up, pausing to ask Jack before walking down the hall towards the cafeteria.

"The police want to talk to you later," Ryan said, reaching over to squeeze Gabriella's hand in support. "They need your statement."

"Thanks," Gabriella said quietly, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back on the chair. The sound of footsteps forced her to look up.

A surgeon was entering the waiting room, holding his surgical cap in his hands. He looked at the chart he held, before looking up.

"Richards?"

Gabriella sighed, closing her eyes again as the doctor walked over to a middle-aged couple. She started to tune their conversation out, but snippets of it drew her attention.

"Drew suffered a major injury," the surgeon was saying to the couple, who were holding each other tightly. "The bullet fractured his skull, and lodged in his brain. We were able to remove it, and reduce the swelling a little bit. But, I'm afraid, Drew's condition is very serious. He's in the ICU, in a coma. I'm very sorry."

"Sorry?" Gabriella found herself saying loudly, barely aware of what she was doing. "Sorry? He should be dead!"

"Gabriella!" Sharpay cried out, placing a hand on her friend's arm to try and calm her.

"No, Shar, he shot Troy! He doesn't deserve any pity. He killed his own brother!" she screamed, standing up quickly, ignoring the stares of the others in the waiting room.

"Gabriella, calm down," Jack said, walking to her and trying to calm her down by gently trying to sit her down. Drew's parents were watching her, shocked, as the doctor stood immobile.

"He shot Troy! My boyfriend is dying, and it's his fault," Gabriella sobbed, unable to control her emotions. She cried out in anguish and fell to the floor, only Ryan's quick actions keeping her from hitting the ground. He pulled her into a hug and held her close, gently rubbing her back to soothe her.

"It's okay, Gabi, it's going to be okay," he whispered, placing a hand on her head to comfort her.

"He's going to die, Ryan," Gabriella sobbed into his shirt. "Troy's going to die."

"Gabi, don't say that," Ryan whispered, rubbing her back. "Troy is going to make it, he's going to pull through."

They sat like that for several more minutes as Jack walked over to Drew's parents to apologize for Gabriella's actions.

* * *

Six hours later, Gabriella, Kellie, Sharpay, Ryan, and Jack were the only people left in the waiting room. Drew's parents had accepted Gabriella's apology, and were now sitting with their remaining son in the ICU. April had made it through surgery and was also in ICU, her family with her. The other clerk had received thirty-two stitches to the forehead and was being held overnight for observation of his concussion. The only victim they were waiting for word on was Troy.

"What time is it?" Sharpay asked quietly from her spot against the wall. She was stretched across four chairs, facing the center of the room. Ryan was sitting against the opposite wall on the floor, his knees pulled up to his chest. Gabriella was asleep, her head on his shoulder. Kellie and Jack were sitting together, wrapped in each other's arms as Kellie slept restlessly.

"About 1 o'clock," Ryan said, lifting his arm to look at his watch. "He's been in there for almost seven hours."

"I wonder-" Sharpay began, but she was cut off as a doctor walked into the room, his head hanging and a shadow of sorrow crossing his face as he looked out at the five.

"Kellie," Jack whispered, shaking her awake and standing up to face the doctor. Ryan stood up as well, waking Gabriella as Sharpay quickly crossed the room to them.

"How is Troy?" Kellie asked worriedly, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Mrs. Bolton, Troy was injured very, very badly. The bullet entered his chest, striking several blood vessels as it went. Finally, it hit his aorta, tearing it. The aorta is one of the main arteries that supply blood to the body. The tear caused by the bullet was small, but enough to cause severe damage. Troy lost a large amount of blood. Without the quick response of the emergency team, he wouldn't have even made it out of the store. As it is, his condition is extremely precarious."

"But he's alive?" Gabriella asked, looking for confirmation.

"Yes, he's alive. But I must warn you, he is far from out of the woods. These next few days are touch and go. If he can survive them, he has a good chance of pulling through. We've done everything we can for him. It's out of our hands now."

* * *

Gabriella sat in the hallway outside Troy's ICU room, staring at Sharpay and Ryan, who were sitting directly across from her. It was now three in the morning, and they were waiting for Troy's parents to let them see Troy. The ICU staff had made allowances for them to stay, as usually only two people were allowed at a time.

"I can't believe we still could lose him," Gabriella whispered, rubbing her eyes as she looked over her shoulder through the window of the room. Troy was lying in the bed, his mother tightly holding his hand as his father stood by the window.

"I know," Sharpay replied, laying her head on Ryan's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, comforting her.

"When did the doctor say he'd wake up?"

"He said the anesthesia should wear off in a few hours, then we'll be able to tell how well he's doing."

"Gabriella?" Kellie asked, standing at the door and peeking her head out.

"Yes?"

"Troy's awake. He's asking for you."

Gabriella stood up quickly, looking over at the twins.

"We'll be right here," Ryan said, nodding at her as she walked over to the door.

"Tell Troy we love him," Sharpay added, sitting up straight. Gabriella nodded, and followed Kellie into the room. The sight before her shocked her.

Troy was lying awake in bed, his eyes locked on his father, who was talking to him. His complexion was pale, the stark whiteness of his skin almost blending in with the sheets on the bed. His hair was still matted with blood, splayed out around his head. The monitor at his side was slowly beeping out the rhythm of his heart, the pace worrisomely slow. The slight rise and fall of his chest was almost unnoticeable, and Gabriella was startled by how sick he looked.

"Hey," Troy whispered, smiling slightly at her as she walked in. The smile immediately turned into a grimace of pain as he attempted to shift his position.

"Hey, baby," Gabriella replied, walking over to him and running her fingers along his hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Never better," Troy joked quietly, smiling goofily at her.

"We'll leave you two for a moment," Kellie said, squeezing Troy's knee and leaning to kiss his forehead. "We have to get the doctor, anyway."

She and Jack left the room, leaving Gabriella and Troy alone.

"Troy, I was so worried about you," Gabriella whispered, sitting in Kellie's recently vacated chair and picking up his hand, holding it tightly. "When Drew had the gun, and he pointed it at you-" She broke off, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Hey," Troy whispered, reaching up to brush tears from her cheeks. "You're okay, though, right?"

"God, Troy, of course I'm okay. Because of you."

"That's good, then."

"Troy, I never thanked you. You-you saved my life, and now you might die because of me."

"Not because of you," Troy said almost breathlessly, every word seeming to cause him pain. "For you."

Gabriella let out a choked sob, bringing Troy's hand to her lips and kissing it.

""I love you," Troy said, taking his other hand and brushing her hair from her eyes. "I love you so much."

* * *

A/N: Well, that was the end. Hehe you all think Troy is okay now, don't you?

Well, you're wrong! Lol

Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!

Coming in Chapter 5: Does Troy survive?

NOTE: Chapter 5 will not be posted until next Monday or Tuesday. I have to study for exams, so my mom doesn't want me typing fanfiction. Sorry :D


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

A/N: Alright, I'm going to say this one last time. As you have all read in the summary, Troy is going to die. You can flame, you can give bad reviews, you can stop reading the story, you can threaten me, you can beg and plead, you can tell all your friends to boycott my stories, whatever. Nothing will change the outcome. This story is about Gabriella, Sharpay, and Ryan, and their reactions to Troy's death, as well as the effect the tragedy has on the community at large. Changing the death would involve changing the whole story, and it's not happening. I'm sorry if that's not what you want to hear.

Sorry for the delay, but exams are over, school's out, and the story continues!

Enjoy!

* * *

Gabriella started awake when she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around, confused for a moment as to her surroundings. In a flash she remembered her conversation with Troy, and falling asleep next to him, her head resting on the bed and her hand still clasped in his.

"Gabriella, why don't you run home?" Kellie whispered quietly into her ear, leaning forward to talk to the teenager. "He's asleep now, and he probably won't wake again any time soon."

"I want to stay," Gabriella said firmly, looking up at Kellie without leaving her spot next to Troy.

"Gabi, I want some time with him," Kellie whispered, her eyes pleading with the girl. Gabriella struggled with her emotions for a moment before relenting.

"I'm not leaving," she said, surrendering her chair to Kellie. "I don't want to go home, I'll stay until he's better."

"Gabriella, your mother is waiting right outside, she wants to take you home."

"Mom?" Gabriella asked, as it suddenly dawned on her that, in the chaos, she had forgotten to call her mother. Kellie nodded.

"She's been worried sick, she showed up awhile ago after Sharpay and Ryan called her for you."

"Sharpay and Ryan? Are they still here?"

"Their mom made them go home an hour ago, but they came in while you were asleep."

"How long have I been asleep? What time is it?"

"It's almost 6:30."

"6:30?" Gabriella repeated, her face blank as she struggled to comprehend the time that had passed. At that moment, Jack appeared at the door, looking tired and haggard, holding two cups of coffee. He walked over to Kellie, handing her one before settling into his spot near the window.

"I think I'll go home for a little," Gabriella said, thinking aloud. "I should probably shower and change."

"Your mom's still outside," Jack told her, his eyes not leaving his son's face. Gabriella nodded, leaning forward to gently kiss Troy's forehead before walking from the room. As she left, she looked over her shoulder to see Kellie laying her head next to Troy's arm, squeezing his hand tightly as she sobbed quietly into the blanket that covered his legs.

* * *

Gabriella shut the door to her mother's car as they pulled up outside of East High. She had showered quickly and changed after watching the news, on which she was part of the headline story. School had been cancelled in light of the circumstances, and students were given the day to talk over their feelings with counselors, parents, friends, or loved ones.

In spite of the day off, hundreds of East High students had gathered in front of the school with candles and flowers, standing in silent solidarity in front of the steps to the school. A steadily growing area on the steps had been set up by the students, who brought the flowers and candles to show support for Troy.

Gabriella walked slowly toward the crowd of kids, her mother close behind her. Ms. Montez put a hand on her shoulder for support as Gabriella slowly weaved through the throng to the front. Nearly everyone they passed was crying, girls holding tight to their boyfriends and best friends to share their sadness, guys struggling to keep their composure. No one complained when Gabriella passed them. Most of the students offered her their support through hugs.

Reaching the front, Gabriella was slightly overwhelmed by the vast numbers of cards, flowers, and signs that people had placed there. Unable to look, she turned away, her eyes locking with Ryan's. The twins were standing a few feet away, Sharpay holding a candle as Ryan hugged her tightly. Sharpay looked haunted, her eyes empty as she stared unseeing at the mass of get-well cards and balloons. Ryan's eyes had a similar look, the look of someone who has witnessed an event that will change them forever.

"Hey," Gabriella whispered, walking over to them and hugging Sharpay before standing next to Ryan, trying to block out the sadness around her.

"How's Troy?" Ryan asked, squeezing Gabriella's hand gently. Ms. Montez stood next to her daughter, her heart breaking for the pain the three teenagers shared. No one else in that crowd felt the way they did, no one else understood their pain.

"He was asleep when I left, but holding his own. Who started this?"

"We did," Sharpay said quietly, watching as two girls laid another card on the pile. "Zeke, Chad, and Jason got together and came to us. The basketball team wanted to do something to show Troy we're all behind him."

"Basketball team? Where are they now?"

"They went to see if they could see Troy," Ryan replied, looking over at Ms. Montez as her cell began to ring. She stepped away from the three teenagers to take the call, her expression becoming grim almost the second she answered the phone. Walking back over, she sighed heavily.

"Mom? What is it?"

"We need to get to the hospital. There's been a complication with Troy."

* * *

"Mrs. Bolton? What's going on, what's wrong?" Gabriella asked as she ran up to Troy's parents in the waiting room of the ICU. Both Kellie and Jack were wearing expressions of worry and anguish. It took Gabriella a moment to notice that Chad, Jason, and Zeke were all standing nearby, wearing similar expressions.

Ryan, Sharpay, and Ms. Montez caught up with her, slightly out of breath from running after Gabriella. Kellie acknowledged Gabriella's mother and the twins before addressing Gabriella.

"He was still asleep, the monitors started wailing. The doctors rushed in, but they couldn't tell what was wrong. I think one said something like PE, but I don't know what it means, or if it's serious. They took him for tests, and then to emergency surgery. They should be coming out any minute now."

As she finished, Troy's surgeon walked into the room, a grim expression on his face. He immediately spotted the large group and walked over, gesturing for everyone to gather closely.

"I'm afraid that Troy suffered a fairly serious complication, one which we hadn't foreseen." He paused, looking into the faces of the people gathered in front of him. "Troy suffered what is called a pulmonary embolism. What that means is that a blood clot loosens from some blood vessel in the body and ends up in the pulmonary artery, affecting breathing, heart rate, and blood flow to the lungs. In a conscious patient, it usually presents with chest pain and can usually be fixed with a simple procedure. In Troy's case, he was unconscious, which meant that we had no warning until the alarms went off."

"But did you fix it? Is he okay?" Kellie asked, searching the doctor's face.

"Mrs. Bolton, we did everything we could. We managed to remove the clot, but we're having trouble stabilizing Troy. I'm afraid he's in a coma."

"But he's alive?" Jack asked, almost as though he were stating a fact.

"Yes, he's alive, but probably not for long. I know that seems blunt, but I need to be frank with you. Troy has slipped into the coma, and it is not likely that he'll come out of it. He probably won't last the night."

"But tomorrow's Valentine's Day," Gabriella said quietly, clearly struggling with her denial. "He has to get better, it's our second Valentine's Day, we were going to go out."

The doctor looked compassionately at Gabriella, understanding the nature of her response.

"I know this is difficult to swallow, and I'm sorry that I had to be the one to tell you. But I'm afraid that there is nothing more we can do but let nature run its course."

Kellie was openly crying as the doctor finished his remark, burying her face in Jack's shoulder. Gabriella was shaking violently as her mother wrapped her arms around her, biting back her own tears. Sharpay's head had found Zeke's shoulder and she was using his shirt to absorb her tears.

"I'll give you a moment alone," the doctor said quietly, respectfully turning to leave them to grieve. "If you'd like to say goodbye, I'll take you to his room, two at a time."

Jack, the one person in the room who by all rights should have been bawling, nodded and resolutely kept strong for his wife, holding her close as they mourned for their son.

* * *

At three in the morning, Gabriella walked into Troy's room, immediately struck by the oppressive silence. Kellie was holding his hand, her other gently stroking Troy's hair. Jack was leaning against the wall, his eyes red from an obvious bout of tears.

Everyone else had already said goodbye and gathered in the waiting room, allowing Gabriella, Kellie, and Jack to be alone with Troy in what they felt were his last moments. To the surprise of everyone, especially the doctor, Troy had survived until the early morning.

As she walked to the bed, Gabriella picked up Troy's other hand and brought it to her lips, kissing it tenderly. She sat in the chair opposite Kellie and settled in, preparing to wait for as long as she needed.

"I love you, Troy," she whispered, gently running her thumb along his hand. Kellie and Jack looked up, remaining silent as Gabriella spoke quietly to their son. "I love you so much. You are my life, and I don't know how I'm going to live without you. Just know, Troy, that wherever you're going, you better wait for me." She broke off, tears filling her eyes as she kissed his hand again. "I'll never stop loving you."

Even as she spoke, the monitor beside the bed began to show a flat, green line, accompanied by a high-pitched wail. Kellie cried out in anguish and buried her face in the blankets by Troy's knees, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed uncontrollably. Jack slid down the wall, his head in his hands as he stared at his son's unmoving body.

Even as a nurse came into the room and shut of the alarm, turning off all the machines that were keeping Troy alive, Gabriella continued to talk to him.

"You're my everything, Troy, and you always will be. I'm going to remember this Valentine's Day forever. You'll never leave my heart."

With that, Gabriella stood up slowly, kissing Troy's hand one last time. She passed the doctor on her way out of the room, not seeing him through her tears. He struggled with his own composure as he checked Troy's vital signs for himself, careful not to disturb Kellie or Jack.

"Time of death, 3:14 A.M.," he said quietly, looking at the clock on the wall. "Take as long as you need," he told the grieving parents, taking the nurse with him as they left Kellie and Jack with their dead son and their grief.

Gabriella walked into the hall and instinctively toward the waiting room, somehow managing to keep her composure until she reached the room. The expectant faces of all her friends broke her resolution, and she fell to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. Ryan immediately jumped up, fighting back his own tears to hold Gabriella.

Each person sat in shock, crying, sobbing, or just staring into space. Each person dealing in their own way with the truth of the matter:

Troy Bolton, at the age of eighteen, was dead.

* * *

A/N: Well, there you go. The deed is done. No turning back.

Reviews greatly appreciated as always!

Coming in Chapter 6: The rest of the community reacts to Troy's death. Those closest to Troy start to break down.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

A/N: Thanks for the positive response to the last chapter. I know it was depressing and stuff, but I'm glad you're still reading this. This chapter has everyone dealing with Troy's death.

Sorry this took so long, but I meant to post it Friday but my friend and I went to see Lifehouse at Six Flags and this really hot guy Phil Bensen opened and we were like going crazy 'cuz we saw him open for Teddy Geiger and he is amazing and we met him after and it was crazy…and now I'm babbling. Ok, sorry :D

NOTE: Jason and Chad are a little OOC in this chapter, but I needed somebody to have a violent reaction to Troy's death, so they became the victims.

Enjoy!

* * *

Gabriella paused outside the door to Troy's room, resting her hand on the frame. She was there to say her last goodbye before they took Troy's body away, and she was struggling to keep herself together. She had spent the last two hours sobbing on and off into Ryan's shoulder as the reality of Troy's death slowly hit her. Everyone was still sitting in the waiting room, attempting to console each other.

"Mrs. Bolton?" Gabriella whispered, looking in on Troy's mother. Kellie was still sitting by the bed, holding her son's hand as she gently stroked his hair in silent grief. Jack had fled the room an hour before, unable to look at Troy's lifeless body any longer. As Gabriella stood in the door, Kellie didn't even look up. It was as if she hadn't heard.

"Mrs. Bolton? It's Gabriella," she said quietly, taking a step toward the bed. Kellie finally looked up, but she couldn't seem to focus on anything. Gabriella crossed the room and sat across from Kellie, reaching across Troy's body to place a hand over hers. Kellie swallowed heavily, fresh tears sliding down her cheeks as she looked at Gabriella.

"I can't believe he's gone," she whispered hollowly, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. The fabric was already wet and wrinkled, a testament to the amount of tears that had already fallen from her eyes. "My baby's gone."

Gabriella felt her own tears prick her eyes again as she drew her hand back and took Troy's other. "It should have been me," Gabriella thought aloud, her voice filled with pain and sorrow. "Troy took the bullet to protect me, it should be me there."

Kellie looked at her, surprised. "Gabriella, Troy knew what he was doing," she said through her tears. "As much as it hurts, he knew. Please don't blame yourself."

"How can I not?" Gabriella asked, looking at Kellie as tears streamed down her face. "Why do I feel so guilty?"

Kellie shook her head slightly, to tell Gabriella she didn't have an answer. Gabriella sighed and brought Troy's hand to her lips.

"I wish I could go back in time," she whispered, looking away from Kellie as the older woman settled back into her original position. "I wish I could change everything."

"So do I," Kellie whispered in reply, not bothering to wipe away the fresh tears that spilled from her eyes.

* * *

Gabriella left the room an hour later, allowing Kellie a little more time with Troy before his body was taken to the morgue. As she got closer to the waiting room, the sound of restrained laughter reached her ears. Confused, she quickened her steps until she were standing in the doorway of the waiting room.

"Remember the time we put pink dye in his shampoo?" Jason was saying, smiling at the memory he was reliving. Chad and Zeke nodded, smiling as well. Sharpay and Ryan looked confused for a moment, before Jason elaborated. "You know, that time in ninth grade when he walked around for a week with neon pink hair?"

"That was you?" Sharpay asked, laughing quietly. Despite the smiles, not one of them was dry-eyed, and tears still fell intermittently from Sharpay's eyes. But it appeared that, rather than dwell on the negativity, they had decided to remember Troy in life.

"What about that time last year, when we locked him in a closet with Haylie Roberts? Man, I've never seen anyone turn so red before," Chad said, shaking his head.

"I can't believe he's gone," Zeke said quietly, the smile on his face dying. "I mean, all of this stuff we're remembering, it's never gonna happen again."

The group of friends sobered quickly, the reality of the situation coming back to them. Chad looked at the floor for several seconds, before looking at his watch. As he did, he caught sight of Gabriella walking over.

"Hey," he said quietly, standing up and walking over to hug Gabriella. "How are you holding up?"

"Not so great," she replied, wiping fresh tears from her eyes. The others walked over and surrounded Gabriella support, Sharpay and Ryan closest to her as only they understood what she was truly feeling. Gabriella sighed lightly and sat in one of the chairs, putting her head in her hands. Ryan wrapped an arm around her shoulders and sat next to her as Sharpay took her other side, the three of them sharing their grief quietly.

"This is so unreal," Jason said quietly, shaking his head slightly. "I can't believe he's gone."

Gabriella let out a choked sob at those words, and Chad glared at Jason as Ryan rubbed Gabriella's shoulders.

"Way to go, Cross," he said bitterly, angrily staring down his friend. "Why don't you say it a little louder next time?"

"Well, I'm _sorry_," Jason spat, staring back. "I sorry I decided to say what the rest of us were thinking."

"Guys, come on. We're all upset, you guys need to take some time to cool off," Zeke said, stepping between the two and attempting to calm them down. Chad glared at Jason across Zeke's outstretched arm, threatening him with his gaze.

"You never did have any common sense," he said, stepping toward Jason again and ignoring Zeke.

"And you never had the balls to say what was on you mind," Jason shot back, stepping toward Chad. In the backs of their minds, they both knew that neither of them was speaking the truth, but they both felt overwhelmed by emotion.

"Alright, guys, that's enough!" Zeke said loudly, his pleas unheard by either. Chad stepped forward, shoving Jason hard in the chest. Jason shoved back, sending the other teen over the edge. Chad launched himself at Jason, slamming his fist into the side of Jason's head. Jason recovered quickly, responding with a punch of his own aimed at Chad's face.

Gabriella sobbed even louder as the two ended up in a full-blown fight on the ground, landing punches anywhere they could. Sharpay was hiding behind her hands, afraid to watch. Ryan and Zeke had both started forward, Ryan attempting to pry Jason off of Chad and Zeke attempting to pry Chad off of Jason.

"Come on, that's enough," Zeke was shouting, jumping back as Chad's fist swung toward his head before slamming into Jason's stomach. The other teen responded by grabbing Chad's arm and twisting it behind his back. The fight now had the attention of everyone else in the waiting room, including a few doctors and nurses passing by.

"Guys, you need to stop!" Zeke was shouting, grabbing the back of Chad's shirt and finally managing to haul him off Jason. Jason scrambled to his feet, breathing heavily and holding a hand over his freely bleeding nose as Chad threw Zeke's hand off him.

"You guys calm?" Zeke asked, helping Ryan up from the floor where he had landed when Jason had accidentally thrown him backwards.

"We're fine," Chad said, wiping his mouth and smearing blood from his spilt lip across his face.

"Yeah, fine," Jason echoed, using his sleeve to try to stem the bleeding. Gabriella was sobbing hysterically into her hands, avoiding looking at the two. Sharpay was shaking slightly, her face pale as she looked from Chad's bloodied face to Jason's. Chad's face softened as he looked at the two girls.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, looking away ashamedly. Jason turned away, still trying to stop the blood from his nose.

"Me too," he replied, a few tears sliding down his cheeks as he remembered the reason they had begun to fight.

Ryan had moved back to the two girls, wrapping his arm around Gabriella's shoulders as he tried to calm her. He was watching the other three in disbelief, tears of his own stinging his eyes as he realized that this was their way of dealing with Troy's death. Zeke alone appeared to keep his calm, standing in between Chad and Jason as he addressed them.

"I think you two should go get cleaned up, and cool off," he advised, looking suggestively at the sobbing girls. Chad nodded, and he and Jason left. Zeke watched them go before sitting next to Sharpay, holding her tightly as she sobbed into his shoulder.

* * *

Jason sat on the counter in the men's room, holding a wet towel to his cheek, where a rather large cut was steadily dripping blood. Chad was leaning against the wall opposite, watching his friend quietly.

"Look, man, I never meant for it to get out of hand," Chad said quietly, offering Jason another towel for the cut on his cheek.

"Me either," Jason replied, chucking the old towel in the garbage.

"You know, you're probably gonna need stitches or something," Chad observed, looking guiltily at the ring he wore on his right hand. "I think I tore your cheek up pretty bad."

Jason shrugged, hissing as he placed the fresh towel on the cut.

"It wasn't all your fault, I wasn't exactly thinking clearly"

"What are we doing?" Chad asked suddenly, looking intently at Jason.

"Huh?"

"I mean, why are we acting like this? Troy's dead, and all we can do is pound each other into the ground."

"I shouldn't have said something so tactless," Jason said quietly, looking away from Chad and at the floor.

"I shouldn't have reacted that way. This isn't what he'd want."

"How can we know?" Jason asked, looking up. A shadow crossed Chad's face as he realized what Jason meant. "How will we ever know what Troy wanted? He was eighteen, Chad, the same as the rest of us. What did he do wrong? Why him?"

Chad shook his head.

"Jase, man, I don't think we'll ever have an answer. I don't know if we'll ever be able to put this behind us."

Jason felt tears prick his eyes again as he nodded.

"I just wish-I wish we could go back to the way it was," he said, the hand holding the towel falling to his side. "Back when everything made sense."

Chad nodded in understanding, his own tears clouding his vision.

* * *

Ryan sat next to Gabriella, who was sobbing on and off into his shoulder. He continued to hold her until she fell asleep in his arms. Sighing, he gently lay her on the chair, standing up and walking over to Zeke and Sharpay.

"How are you holding up?" he asked his sister, kneeling in front of her and hugging her tightly.

"Not good," she replied truthfully, wiping at her tear-stained cheeks with her already-soaked sleeve. "Jason was right, this is unreal."

Ryan nodded, unable to find the words to comfort his sister. Zeke was doing his best, but it was clear that Sharpay was suffering more than they could imagine.

"I just-I can't believe we watched him lying there, dying," she whispered hoarsely, more tears coming to her eyes. "There was so much blood, I didn't know anyone could loose that much blood."

"Hey," Zeke whispered, hugging her tightly as she began to cry again. "Don't think about that. It's going to be okay, it'll be alright."

Ryan looked over his sister's head and locked eyes with Zeke, the unasked question passing between them.

Would it really be alright? Could they ever return to the way the were?

* * *

A/N: That kind of sucked, but I wanted initial reactions out in the open before the next chapter, when everyone else finds out. I know Jason was really OOC (can he be OOC? does he even have a character to be out of?), but I thought that I'd have him and Chad show their grief in a different way.

Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!

Coming in Chapter 7: The funeral arrangements are made, Gabriella struggles to keep herself together, Chad withdraws from the world, and everyone finds out.

NOTE: On Thursday, I will be going to Disney World for ten days on vacation. To compensate, I will try my hardest to post an update a day on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (maybe Thursday). No promises, but I'll try.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

A/N: I'm am so so sorry for the massive delay with this chapter. As I said, I was on vacation, and I just got back. On top of that, I was having writer's block with this chapter, and I re-wrote the opening six different times. I just didn't know where I wanted to go with it, so I hope this chapter is alright. I personally feel it isn't up to my usual standards, but I'll let you be the judge.

So that last chapter was fun. This chapter deals with everyone else's reactions to Troy's death. That's about it. Enjoy!

* * *

Gabriella sat at her kitchen table, a bowl of dry cereal in front of her. She picked up her spoon and absently twirled it between her fingers, watching the light streaming through the window play off the silver, reflecting onto the wall behind her. It was February 15, a day after Troy's death. 

Tears sprang into her eyes for what seemed to be the millionth time as she thought about Troy. On any other day, she would have been getting ready for school, kissing her mother goodbye as she climbed into Troy's car for their ride to school. Just thinking about that seemed to make her very soul ache with longing for her boyfriend. He hadn't been gone two days and she already felt like they'd been apart for a lifetime.

Sighing, Gabriella tossed the spoon carelessly to the side, pushing the bowl of cereal away from her. A soft sigh came from the doorway, drawing her attention away from the table.

"You need to eat something, Gabi" her mother said quietly, crossing the room and sitting across from her daughter. "You're killing yourself."

"I'm not hungry," Gabriella whispered, shaking her head slightly. She sat back in her chair, looking at the table rather than meet her mother's gaze.

"Gabi, I know how hard this is for you. But you have to take care of yourself. Troy never would have-"

"How do you know what Troy wanted?" Gabriella shouted, more tears pouring down her face as she stood up and faced her mother. Ms. Montez gaped, startled at the sudden change in Gabriella's emotions.

"Gabi, I didn't mean to-"

Gabriella cut her off by storming from the room, holding her sleeve over her face as she ran. Ms. Montez heard a door slam somewhere in the house, indicating that Gabriella had locked herself in her room. She shook her head in defeat, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed quietly into her hands.

* * *

Chad shut the door of his car and stood silently in the parking lot of the school for a moment, gazing unseeingly at the large group of students gathered in front of the building. News of Troy's death had spread quickly throughout the student body, and the night before hundreds of students had gathered at the front steps, placing flowers and cards atop the already huge pile. 

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Chad joined Jason and Zeke, who had each gotten out of their respective cars around the same time, and the three started toward the group. Chad noted sadly the bandage covering the row of stitches on Jason's cheek, a painfully obvious reminder of the way things had spiraled out of control.

"Let's get this over with," he sighed, slinging his bag over his shoulder and taking the lead as they walked toward the school. Sympathetic glances were thrown their way as they moved slowly through the crowd, glances full of pity and deep sadness. The three friends averted their eyes as they pushed their way to the steps of the school, afraid to look into the eyes of any of their classmates.

They reached the front of the crowd, and were immediately taken aback at the sheer number of flowers and cards that were piled there. No one had realized what an impact Troy had had on the school community, or even on the outside community. Thinking about the potential his best friend had held only made Chad feel sick.

"I didn't realize so many people liked him," Jason said quietly.

"I had no idea he touched so many lives," Zeke added, gazing in slight shock at the memorial.

Chad didn't say anything, too overcome with emotion to speak. Suddenly, he felt as though he were being suffocated. Overtaken by his need for air, he ran blindly away from the crowd of people, unaware of anything around him. The grief he had been pushing away seemed to have hit him all at once, and it seemed to be attempting to choke him with its sheer intensity.

Sobbing, Chad ran to the parking lot, falling to his knees the second his feet hit the pavement. Oblivious to the people that had followed him in concern, he leaned forward and retched violently onto the pavement in front of him, sick with grief.

* * *

Taylor stood on the other side of the crowd, not bothering to stop the tears streaming down her cheeks. She felt as though she were an outsider in all of the events, someone looking in from the outside. Gabriella had loved him, Chad had been his best friend for years. Jason and Zeke had played ball with him for so long. Even Sharpay and Ryan were more closely connected to Troy, having been present when he was shot. Only Taylor had no close connection with him, other than being his friend. What upset her most was that everyone close to her was hurting more deeply than she could fathom. 

Wiping at her eyes, Taylor looked toward the parking lot, just in time to see Chad running from the crowd and falling to his knees on the pavement. Startled, Taylor took off running toward her boyfriend, reaching him just as he began to throw up. Biting back her own tears, she rubbed his back gently, pulling him into her arms as he sobbed uncontrollably.

"Come on, people, leave them alone," Zeke was shouting at the small crowd gathered around the couple, herding them back toward the front of the school. Jason was kneeling on Chad's opposite side, looking worriedly at Taylor.

"Is he alright?" Jason asked, his hand resting on his friend's shoulder.

"I don't think so," Taylor whispered, her heart breaking as she held Chad in her arms. "I don't think he ever will be."

* * *

Sharpay stood in her bathroom, staring at her haggard reflection in the mirror. The shooting and the ensuing events had affected her so greatly that she had refused to leave her bedroom since coming home the night before, worrying both Ryan and their parents. 

She hadn't slept soundly since the shooting, afraid of the nightmare's that would plague her. The only time she did manage to fall asleep, the image of Troy's bloodied and lifeless body lying in front of her played continually in her mind.

"Shar?" Ryan asked quietly from outside the door, knocking softly on the wood. "Are you in there?"

"I'm here," she called back quietly, her voice void of all emotion and vibrancy.

"Are you okay?"

Sharpay contemplated the question for a moment, wondering if she should tell her twin the truth. Sighing, she answered.

"No."

She heard Ryan sigh on the other side, telling her he felt the same.

"Can I come in?"

Sharpay slowly opened the bathroom door, coming face to face with her twin brother. Ryan's face held the same haunted look as Sharpay's, his eyes dull and filled with sadness. In a single moment, the unspoken words passed between them, each silently sharing their pain with the other. Sharpay stepped forward and buried her face in Ryan's shoulder, sobbing heavily.

* * *

Kelsi sat at the piano in her living room, slowly picking out a tune on the ivory keys. She had decided against going to school, too afraid to face the reality of what had happened. She knew that others were skipping out, as evidenced by the fact that Jason had called and said he was coming over. 

Kelsi picked up her pen and leaned forward, scribbling a few words onto her notebook. Troy's death had sparked a chain reaction inside her, and it had ended up leading her to the piano where she was currently working on a song in Troy's memory. Sitting up straight, she picked out a few more notes on the keys, stopping suddenly. She picked up the paper and looked at it, silently letting it slip from her hands and fall to the ground. Folding her arms, Kelsi rested her head on them, sobbing quietly as she pressed onto the keys of the piano.

The sound of the doorbell startled her, forcing her to dry her eyes and answer the door. Jason stood on her doorstep, his eyes red from crying, a bandage across his cheek and his left eye blackened.

"Jason? What happened to your face?" she asked, momentarily forgetting why he was even at her house at nine o'clock in the morning on a school day.

"I got into a fight with Chad yesterday," he said, brushing concern aside and walking into her house. "Thanks for letting me come over. I tried to go to school, but I just couldn't handle it. Everyone was crying, and then Chad lost it. Taylor had to take him home. I was too afraid to stick around and deal with the pity anymore."

"It's alright," Kelsi said, leading him into the living room and sitting next to him on the couch. "I know how hard this is for you, what with you being there and all."

Jason brushed tears from his eyes as he nodded.

"I wish I could have done something, you know? I wish I could have helped him."

"I know, Jase, I know," Kelsi said, wrapping him in a hug as the two sobbed together.

* * *

Kellie sat on the couch in the Bolton's living room, her sister, Angela, and her mother next to her, trying to console her through their own tears. Jack was dealing with the steady stream of people who had come to offer their condolences with the help of Kellie's father and older brother. Jack's parents were due to fly in later that day, but Kellie's lived only a few minutes away. 

"Have you thought about the funeral?" Kellie's dad, Andrew, asked Jack as they put yet another bouquet of flowers on the table. Jack shook his head tiredly, unable to answer the question.

"If you want, I could take care of it," Liam, Kellie's brother, offered, placing a hand on Jack's shoulder in support. "You and Kellie shouldn't have to worry about it right now, Dad and I can handle the arrangements."

"There shouldn't have to be arrangements," Jack whispered, running a hand along the petals of one of the flowers. "No parent should have to make funeral arrangements for their child."

Liam and Andrew looked at each other sadly, knowing there was nothing they could do to ease Jack's pain.

"Look, Jack, if there's anything we can do to help, anything at all-" Andrew began, but Jack cut him off with a slight shake of his head.

"I just want to bury my son," Jack said quietly, tears falling from his eyes. "And then I want to bring the kid who did this to justice."

* * *

A/N: So, that was weird. I personally don't care for this chapter, but I wanted to get all that out of the way before I start focusing on individuals, and on the Ryella relationship. Reviews greatly appreciated, as always! 

Coming in Chapter 8: The actual funeral. That's all I'll say. Maybe a little Drew part in there, I haven't decided. I think it's time he came back in the picture.

NOTE: I know this is a little crazy, but I'm going to try to update this as much as humanly possible the next week. July 11 I am going to Greece on a trip with my class and won't be back for nine days. Two days after that I go to Houston for a leadership forum. So pretty much any updates for July will be done in the next week, with the exception of maybe one in the middle. I hope to finish this story in August, before school starts, so I can start a fresh story with the new school year.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. I do own Kellie's family, though. And Troy's middle name.

A/N: Wow, I'm surprised you guys liked that chapter. I guess I'm just overly critical of my own work. Oh well…anyway, this is a pretty depressing chapter. I'll try not to make it too dark, but you guys know me by now… I'm not sure how funerals/burials work, as I have only been to a few in my life. Please forgive any errors.

P.S.-I guess the updating as much as possible didn't work out so well. Tuesday was the Fourth of July, Wednesday I got sucked into babysitting all day, and Thursday I had to pack for Greece and stuff, and then I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean at midnight. And then yesterday I had play rehearsal and went to see Pirates again. I LOVED THAT MOVIE! I also had some pretty serious difficulties with this chapter. I wasn't sure what to do with it.

* * *

Ryan and Sharpay stood in front of the church, each holding back unshed tears. The day was February 18, the day of Troy's funeral. Looking around as another car door shut, Sharpay and Ryan caught sight of Jason and Kelsi walking toward them. 

"Hey," Kelsi whispered, walking up to hug Sharpay. The two girls held each other for several seconds. Jason stood next to Ryan, reaching out to clap the other teen on the shoulder. The two of them, along with Zeke and Chad, had been asked to serve as pallbearers for the ceremony, a task which the four of them accepted.

Chad, Taylor, and Zeke all walked up to the others a minute later, Taylor going to hug Sharpay and Kelsi as well.

"This is it," Zeke whispered, his voice betraying his deep sadness.

Jason nodded, but Chad and Ryan seemed too far out of it to respond.

"Has anyone seen Gabriella?" Taylor asked quietly, keeping and arm around Sharpay's shoulders as the other girl shook slightly with suppressed sobs.

"She's inside already," Ryan replied, adjusting his suit jacket uncomfortably.

"What time does it start?"

"Ten. It's nine-fifty."

"We should get going," Jason said, looking at the other three guys. Zeke nodded, and the four of them said goodbye to the three girls, walking toward the church. Sharpay, Taylor, and Kelsi walked into the church together, immediately spotting Gabriella sitting with her mother near the front, close to where Troy's family was sitting. The church was already filled with people, more filing in with every second. The three rows near the front were reserved for Troy's closest friends, which is where the three girls made their way to sit behind Gabriella.

"Hey, Gabi," Taylor whispered, placing a hand on the other teen's shoulder in comfort. Gabriella didn't reply, but merely smiled half-heartedly. Sharpay slid forward in the seat and made the same gesture, not speaking but merely sharing a glance with the other teen. An unspoken understanding passed between them, a testament to the ordeal they had gone through together.

* * *

"Troy was my best friend," Chad said, standing at the podium in front of the packed church. He looked out at all the people there for the funeral. Practically every East High student was present, as well as several members of the community. Troy had clearly affected so many lives. It was just wrong that he had been killed so senselessly. 

"We'd known each other since kindergarten, practically our whole lives."

Chad had been asked to speak about his friend at the funeral, being that he was the one who knew Troy best. Gabriella had declined the invitation, too upset to speak. That was why Chad found himself standing in front of close to two hundred people.

"Troy was one of the best people I knew," Chad continued, his voice becoming choked by tears. "He cared about everyone, and he was a great friend. He was also one hell of a ball player."

The last statement was greeted by an appreciative chuckle from the many tear-stained faces.

"I can't say that I know why Troy was-" Chad paused, swallowing around the lump in his throat before continuing, "-killed. I can't say I know why it had to be him. I only know that he did what he did out of love. He loved Gabriella so much, and he risked his life to save her. Troy knew what he was doing, and as much as it hurts the rest of us, I know he's gotta be up in heaven, smiling down at us now."

Chad trailed off, overcome with tears.

* * *

Chad, Ryan, Sharpay, Zeke, Jason, Taylor, and Kelsi all stood at the bottom of the hill that led to Troy's gravesite, collecting themselves before heading to the burial of their friend. Even as they stood, dozens of people filed around them, all circling the freshly dug grave. Kellie and Jack were standing in front of their son's coffin, the former sobbing uncontrollably into her husband's shoulder. 

Gabriella was standing next to Mrs. Bolton, her mother's hand placed comfortingly on her shoulder. Sighing, the group of friends started up the hill, moving as one to stand behind Gabriella, spreading out behind her to show her their support. Gabriella smiled half-heartedly at them for a moment, the expression quickly leaving her face.

Up close, it was painfully obvious the effect Troy's death had had on Gabriella. Her face was pale and drawn, tracks from tears cutting their way across her skin. Her eyes were rimmed with red as tears continued to spill without abandon down her cheeks. Kellie's face had a similar look.

Standing together, the eight friends held each other through the ceremony. After the coffin had been lowered into the ground, each person there tossed a handful of soil on top of the coffin, filing away from the cemetery for the reception at the Bolton's house. Gabriella lingered behind, running her hand over the headstone. She bit back sobs as she looked at the coffin, realizing for what seemed like the first time that Troy was in there, and that this was the last time she'd see him.

She was unaware of Ryan's hands supporting her as he led her away from the grave, letting her fall into his embrace. The tears were streaming unbidden down her face, and, she noticed with mild surprise, Ryan's. The two walked toward Ryan's car. Ryan helped Gabriella climb into the backseat beside Sharpay, who was staring absently out the window. Ryan himself climbed into the front seat and started the car.

* * *

Kellie and Jack sat on their living room couch, holding each other tightly as Kellie sobbed uncontrollably into Jack's shoulder. Almost everyone who had been at the funeral had come to their house to offer condolences, but nothing seemed to reach the grieving mother. 

"There's nothing you can say," Liam, Kellie's brother, whispered sadly to Gabriella's mother. "There's nothing that can make up for the loss of a child."

Ms. Montez nodded in understanding.

"The mere thought of losing Gabriella like that-" she trailed off, tears spilling from her eyes as she looked at her daughter. Gabriella was sitting on another couch with Ryan, crying on his shoulder. Sharpay was on Ryan's other side, the same haunted look on her face that she had worn since the day of the shooting.

A sudden commotion at the front door alarmed everyone present.

"What's going on?" Liam asked, rushing to the door. Chad, Zeke, and Jason were standing in front of it, preventing the person or people on the outside from coming in.

"They're not welcome here," Chad said coldly, the iciness of his voice surprising everyone nearby.

"Alright, let's take this outside," Liam said, pushing past Chad and taking the man and woman at the door by the arms. Chad, Jason, and Zeke followed them out, glaring at the two.

"We're sorry for causing any trouble, we just wanted to tell Kellie and Jack how truly sorry we are for their loss."

"You should be," Chad spat back, glaring at them.

"Alright, quite obviously I've missed something here," Liam said, standing between the three teenagers and the two adults. "What's going on?"

"They're Drew's parents," Zeke said, his face holding the only compassionate look. "Drew's the one who shot Troy," he whispered into Liam's ear. "He shot his own brother first, then Troy, and then shot himself in the head. Last I heard he was in a coma."

"Yeah, and we don't want them here," Chad replied, stepping forward.

"You know what, this was a bad idea," Drew's father said, looking at his wife. She nodded. "We'll just leave. But please, tell the Bolton's that we know what they're going through, and that we are truly sorry that our son is the cause of this."

Drew's parents turned and left, leaving Chad, Jason, Zeke, and Liam standing looking after them.

* * *

After the reception, Gabriella left with her mother. Somehow, she ended up back at the cemetery that night, finding herself in front of Troy's grave. The ground had been filled in since the morning, and already a pile of flowers was on top of it. Gabriella fingered the rose in her hands, reaching forward to lay it across the grave. 

Sighing, she sank to her knees in front of the grave, trying to hold back her tears. She ran her hand over the fresh grass on the grave, unable to hold back her tears any longer. She lay down in front of the grave, crying into her folded arms as she looked at the engraving on the headstone:

_Troy Michael Bolton _

_November 14, 1988-February 14, 2007

* * *

_

A/N: That was alright, I guess. A little shorter, but alright. Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!

Coming in Chapter 9 (which will be posted either July 20, 21, 22): One month on from the funeral-how's everyone coping? And featuring an actual appearance by Drew!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

A/N: Sorry for the long delay. As I said in the previous chapter, I was in Greece. I got back Wednesday, but had serious jetlag. I've spent the last couple days trying to catch up on sleep while packing and getting ready to go to Houston tomorrow. I'll be gone ten days for a leadership forum on medicine, so don't expect another update until August 2 at the earliest. I realize now that it probably wasn't a great idea to start this fic when I had so little time to update, but it's a little late for that. I'm already working on my next fic, so that one should go a little bit more smoothly.

I hope you guys are still enjoying the story. Only a few chapters left, I'm aiming somewhere around 15, give or take a few.

A/N 2: Someone posing as me posted an anonymous review of Degenerate X's story "An Angels Falling, a Devil's Uprising," accusing them of stealing the plot from my story, "This is How a Heart Breaks." I was upset and ashamed by this, especially that someone would think I could make a statement like that. I would like all my readers to know that it _was not _me, and that I don't even agree with the statement made. Thank you.

Enjoy!

* * *

Gabriella rolled over in bed and shut of her alarm clock, ending the incessant beeping that had been invading her consciousness for the last five minutes. Cracking open one eye, she looked around her room critically. Bright sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating everything around her. The clock next to her head read 6:30 A.M.

"Time for school," she groaned, rolling back over and flipping the covers off her body. She dragged herself from the comfort of her mattress, trudging over to her closest. Reaching in blindly, she pulled out a pale purple sweater and a pair of jeans. With little enthusiasm, she pulled on the clothes, grabbing a brush from her dresser and running it through her hair before jamming her feet into sneakers and heading downstairs.

It had been a month since Troy's funeral, a month that had been very unkind to Gabriella. She had developed her new routine days after they buried him, rolling out of bed and grabbing the first thing she could find, giving little thought or care to her appearance. She'd then walk downstairs, sit at the table with a bowl of cereal, refusing to eat. She'd grab her car keys from the hook by the door and be at school by 7:15.

The same held true for today. Gabriella walked into the kitchen, greeted her mother, who was seated at the table nursing a cup of coffee while she read the newspaper, and pulled out a box of cereal. Taking her bowl, she sat across from her mother, absently eating a few bites before pushing the bowl away.

"Aren't you going to eat?" her mother asked, looking concernedly at Gabriella.

"Not hungry," Gabriella said quietly, her eyes focused on her spoon as she twirled it in the morning sunlight.

Ms. Montez sighed.

"Gabi, you have to eat. You're going to starve yourself."

"I'm not hungry, okay, mom? Leave me alone."

Gabriella stood up abruptly, pushing her chair back from the table and storming over to her car keys. Yanking them off the hook, she wrenched open the back door.

"Gabriella!" her mother called after her, unable to reach her as she stormed out to her car. Ms. Montez sighed when she heard the motor start up in the driveway. "Please don't do this," she whispered to herself, shaking her head as she listened to her daughter pull away.

* * *

Chad stood in front of his locker in the gym, staring at the bright red door without really seeing it. They had made it to the championship game long before Troy had been shot. They had had it in the bag since their first game. The only left now was to play.

Chad himself knew he wouldn't be out on the court with his teammates. He couldn't bring himself to play ball on the same court without his best friend, couldn't bring himself to face the truth. As he opened his locker, his clean game jersey caught his eye, forcing him to look away as he took it out and threw it in a bag. He could remember all the times he had worn that jersey with Troy, all the games they had won, as well as the ones they had lost. Shaking his head, he pulled out the rest of the stuff in the locker, throwing that into the bag as well.

Having completely emptied his locker, he slung his bag over his shoulder, slamming the door shut and staring at it for a few moments. Sighing, he ripped his name off the front, twirling it in his hands for a few seconds. As he left the locker area to head to Coach Bolton's office, his eyes alighted on Troy's locker, the red-and-white name plate still clearly visible on the shiny red metal of the locker door. Chad felt tears spring to his eyes as he realized that no one had probably even touched the locker since Troy's death.

He walked to the coach's door, knocking quietly on the wood frame.

"Come in!" Jack Bolton's muffled voice beckoned him in from where he stood. Chad was taken aback at the sight of several packing boxes lying around the room.

"Coach? What's going on?"

Jack paused with a trophy in his hands, turning to look at Chad.

"I'm cleaning out my office. I resigned, Chad. I couldn't take it anymore." Jack turned to the nearest box and unceremoniously tossed the trophy into it, along with several folders and a basketball.

"You quit, coach? Just like that? What about the championship? The season?"

"They'll get someone else," Jack said without feeling, throwing more things into the box. "Is there a reason you're here, Chad?"

Chad swallowed for a moment, fingering the name plate in his hands. He stepped forward.

"I came to give this back, coach. I'm quitting the team."

* * *

Sharpay sat in the auditorium, only half-listening to Ms. Darbus as she explained that they would be holding more auditions for the roles of Tony and Maria, seeing as Gabriella had dropped out after Troy's death. In the back of her mind, Sharpay knew that she and Ryan would probably get the leads now, and someone else would take their spots. The thought didn't entice her like it would have a year before.

Ryan looked over at her, noting the blank look her eyes held. He shook his head slightly, sighing to himself. It seemed to him that nothing could reach Sharpay anymore. She was too far gone, too jaded by what they had witnessed. He knew she had every right to feel as she did. To be frank, he himself felt the same on many occasions. They had seen a young man, not too much older than they were, shoot three people in cold blood, before turning the gun on himself and putting a bullet in his head.

Ryan shuddered as he remembered the sound of the gun as it went off. That sound still haunted his nightmares, as well as the image of Troy's body lying in a pool of blood. He knew they still haunted his sister, too. She had come running to him several nights in tears, unable to deal with the nightmares that plagued her. He'd hold her and comfort her, but deep in his heart he knew that nothing he said ever made it better. Nothing could make it better.

* * *

Kelsi stood behind Ms. Darbus as the teacher explained the procedure for the auditions, but she wasn't paying attention. She was watching Sharpay and Ryan, watching as the latter tried to get through to his sister. Despite all the torture Sharpay had put her through the year before, the two had grown close over the summer, and it pained her to see a friend in so much pain.

It seemed that everyone was in pain lately. Even though she herself wasn't as close to Troy as the others, she still was shaken and upset by his death. It killed her to watch Jason as he struggled with his feelings, killed her to watch him try to cope with the death of one of his closest friends. She knew it hurt him more than he let on, but there was nothing she could do for him. There was nothing she could do for any of them.

"Excuse me, Ms. Darbus, I have to go," Kelsi said suddenly, dashing from the auditorium and into the hall. She suddenly felt overwhelmed with emotion, and she needed air.

"Kelsi?"

She looked up. Jason was standing in front of her, looking at her concernedly. She let out a choked sob, throwing herself into his arms, much to his surprise.

"Kels, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I hate this, Jason," she sobbed into his shoulder. "Everyone else is hurting but I can't help them. I can't help you. I don't know what to do."

Jason, startled, reached out to wipe tears from her cheeks.

"It's alright, Kels, it's going to be okay," he whispered, pulling her close to him and holding her as she cried.

* * *

Kellie Bolton stood in her kitchen, holding a pot of hot coffee in her hands. She had been in the process of making coffee when she stopped, wondering why she was. Nothing seemed to make sense to her anymore. Everything she did seemed uncontrolled. She was living completely on auto-pilot.

Shaking slightly, Kellie took out a mug and struggled to fill it with coffee. The pot slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor, shattering instantly. The hot liquid spread out from the point of impact, creating a small sea of caffeine. Cursing, Kellie grabbed a dish towel, dropping to her knees at the mess.

"I'm such an idiot," she whispered to herself, wiping at the coffee spill without much success. Her hand brushed against a shard of glass and instantly a cut appeared across her palm, bright red blood blossoming quickly. Kellie dropped the towel, falling back to the floor and sitting against the cabinets, crying softly to herself as she held her hand close to her body.

She couldn't believe that she had become such a mess after Troy's death. Even the simplest tasks took a concerted effort, and she was having more and more difficulty dragging herself out of bed in the mornings.

After several minutes on the floor, Kellie managed to collect herself somewhat, wrapping her hand in a towel and trying to stop the bleeding. As she walked toward the bathroom her eyes landed on the locked liquor cabinet, and idea forming in her grief-riddled mind.

* * *

Zeke stood outside the ICU room, bracing himself as he prepared to go in. He knew that none of his friends would approve of his actions, but he felt that someone needed to talk to the teen behind this tragedy, someone needed to get closure for the group. Drew had been awake for two days, but no one else had wanted to come to him, too afraid of facing Troy's killer. Taking a deep breath, Zeke put his hand on the doorknob and turned it, walking into the darkened room.

Drew lay in the bed, his head wrapped in several layers of white gauze. Several tubes and wires surrounded the bed, but he himself was awake. His eyes darted toward the door when Zeke walked in.

"Who are you?" he asked quietly, his voice slow and filled with pain. As Zeke got closer he could see that Drew's eyes were clouded with sadness and grief.

"I am-" he paused, thinking, "-was-a friend of Troy Bolton. The guy you shot and killed."

Drew sighed and looked away.

"I didn't come here to forgive you, or anything like that," Zeke said plainly, his eyes boring into Drew's. "I want to know why. Why'd you do it? He had a girlfriend, he had parents, he had a _future_." Zeke put emphasis on the last word, trying to get his point through.

"I don't know why, okay?" Drew said angrily. "That's what I told the cops, my parents, everyone. I don't know."

"Do you know his girlfriend doesn't eat anymore? She can't bring herself to enjoy life without Troy in it. His best friend quit the basketball team because he can't stand to play without him. His father quit his job. His mom hasn't come out of the house since the funeral."

"What are you trying to do, man, make me feel guilty? You think I don't? I killed two people! I shot my own brother! You think I don't regret it every day?"

"You should feel guilty, Drew. You murdered one of my closest friends in cold blood. I hope to God you rot in jail."

Drew didn't say anything, but merely looked away from Zeke's piercing stare.

"I don't blame you," he said quietly. "You deserve to hate me, you all do. I just-I know I have no right-but could you apologize to his parents for me? And his girlfriend? I know what it's like to lose someone close."

Zeke stopped for a moment, looking at Drew critically.

"I don't think I can do that," he said coolly, turning and walking from the room. He had gotten what he needed. He had found some amount of closure in knowing that at the very least Drew regretted what he had done. Now if only the others could find solace as well.

* * *

A/N: Well, that was kind of long. And weird. I hope you guys liked it, though. As for Zeke always being the calm, sane one, I just felt I needed one level head, and he seemed to fit. Chad's too close, Jason I have other plans for, Taylor isn't' as big a character, and the other's don't really make sense. So Zeke it is!

Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!

If anyone was wondering why I write a lot of Jason scenes lately, I can't really explain. Only that I suddenly became obsessed with his character. I think it's a great character because it can be developed on so much. My next story actually happens to be a Jason-centric. The trailer will be posted at the end of this.

Coming in Chapter 10 (August 2 or later): Kellie starts to develop a problem…the team's first game without Troy (and Chad)…maybe another appearance by Drew (if you guys liked the first one)


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. It belongs to Disney.

A/N: Sorry for the really long delay this time. I was at a youth leadership forum on medicine in Houston and got back on Tuesday night. After that I had unpacking and other fun stuff like that to do. I wasn't really sure where I wanted to take this chapter, but here it is.

WARNING: This chapter deals with alcohol abuse.

Enjoy!

* * *

Zeke stood in front of his locker, holding his game jersey in his hands. He paused for a moment, resting his head against the cool red metal of his locker. All around him, the rest of the Wildcats basketball team was getting ready for the game in silence.

"Are you ready?" Jason asked quietly, walking up behind Zeke while pulling his own jersey over his head.

Zeke heaved a sigh, lifting his head up slowly.

"I guess I have to be," Zeke replied, shrugging into his own jersey. Each team member's jersey had Troy's number, fourteen, stitched in black on the shoulder, a tribute to their lost teammate.

"Guys, five minutes till we're out on the court!"

"I miss Coach," Jason said, shaking his head as Ms. Whitman pulled her head from inside the locker room to take her place outside the door again. Since Jack had resigned, Principal Matsui had recruited Lisa Whitman, the girls' basketball coach, to take over direction of the team for the remainder of the season.

"It isn't the same anymore," Zeke agreed, shutting his locker door and turning to face Jason.

"Nothing's the same anymore," Jason added, putting on his warm-up jacket and heading toward the door. Zeke followed suit, and the two gathered the team at the door, ready to give a pre-game speech before heading out for practice on the court.

"Alright, guys, this is a big game," Zeke said, looking around at his teammates. "This is the championship game, the last one for us seniors. It's also our first game without Coach, or Chad, or-" he broke off, looking at the floor.

"Or Troy," Jason finished for him, closing his eyes for a moment. He and Zeke stood in silence for a moment, the team around them.

"Alright, let's go!" Zeke said, brushing away the tense moment and trying to pump up the team's spirits.

"Wildcats on three!" Jason added, throwing his hand into the middle. The rest of the team followed suit, throwing up their hands and cheering on Jason's count.

* * *

Chad stood outside the gym door, the sounds of sneakers squeaking on the polished wood and the cheers of the crowd filtering through the door to his ears. He pulled his coat tighter around himself, the cold stabbing at him unrelentingly. He had contemplated attending the team's final game, the final game of his high school career, but he had made it only as far as the door.

As he stood there, he felt as though he couldn't move. He had been standing there for at least half an hour, and it was well into the first half. Steeling himself, he opened the door, stepping into the warm gym. Immediately he was assaulted by the sights, sounds, and even smells of the basketball game. One-half of the stands was filled with red-and-white clad supporters, the other with blue-and-white. The stands were so packed that there were people standing anywhere they could find a spot.

Looking at the court, Chad watched Jason take the ball down the court, passing quickly to another teammate. He watched as the ball sailed cleanly through the net, unconsciously flashing back to the last championship game they had played, when Troy had taken that same shot to win the game.

"I can't do this," Chad whispered to himself, turning on his heel and running for the door, fighting with the handle as he tried to get out as fast as he could. He was unaware of several people calling his name as he stumbled outside into the cold, leaning against the nearest wall.

* * *

Kellie sat at the kitchen table, an unopened shoe box in front of her, a sealed bottle of vodka sitting next to it. She had been sitting there for close to an hour, staring absently at the alcohol and the box. She kept thinking about the game currently going on at the school, the game that Troy should have been leading his team into.

Sighing, she leaned forward, taking the bottle and pulling it toward her. Pulling off the protective seal, she threw it over her shoulder, twisting the top off the bottle. She brought it to her lips, pausing a moment before taking a sip. The alcohol burned her throat as it went down, making her frown slightly. Taking another sip, she frowned again, but realized she was beginning to get used to the feeling. Raising the bottle a third time, she took a rather large swallow, putting the bottle down and pulling the shoe box toward her.

She flung the lid off and pulled out a stack of pictures. Picking up the first picture, she looked at it, tears springing to her eyes. As she made to put it back, she took another swig of vodka, letting her tears fall in earnest. It was Troy's senior picture, taken at the end of the previous year. She placed the picture on the table, picking up the next.

A half hour later, pictures were spread across the table, and the bottle of vodka was only half-full. Taking out another stack of pictures, she took another swig, spreading the pictures out in front of her. The tears continued to fall the whole time, staining the pictures and her sweater.

* * *

Gabriella lay down on her bed, fully clothed, staring blankly at the ceiling. She knew that the championship game was currently being played in the East High gym, and she was struggling with her feelings on that. She couldn't stop thinking about the previous year, the year that she and Troy had gotten together. It was on the day of the so-called "triple-win," the day they had aced the call-backs, won the decathlon, and won the basketball championship.

Tears filled her eyes as she thought back to that day, as she ran to Troy and he spun her in his arms. They had spent the night at the after party locked in each other's arms, oblivious to everyone around them. So much of the ensuing year had been filled with them together that people had begun to joke that they were going to get married sooner rather than later.

Gabriella herself had contemplated marriage, and she and Troy had even discussed it on a few occasions. Troy had given her his class ring, which she still wore on her left hand. They had been planning on going to college together, after which they'd think about their future.

That future had been ripped away from her in a split second, ripped away in the time it took for Drew to pull the trigger on his gun. Blinking back her tears, she fingered the ring, a sudden longing to hold Troy in her arms overcoming her. She flipped onto her stomach and buried her face in her pillow, sobbing uncontrollably into it.

* * *

Zeke and Jason stood together in front of the team, the championship trophy held between them. Everyone was smiling as a newspaper photographer took picture after picture of the winning team, the crowds celebrating and cheering behind them.

"Alright, thanks guys," the photographer said, allowing the team to break apart and accept congratulations from everyone.

"Great game, guys," Ms. Walker said, walking over to Zeke and Jason. "I know how tough this was for you, but you guys did a great job overcoming."

"The whole team did a great job," Zeke said, smiling at the temporary coach. "But Troy was up there the whole time, watching out for us."

The coach smiled, slapping each of the teens on the shoulder before joining the rest of the celebration.

"I'm going to go change," Zeke said, handing the trophy to Jason.

"Alright, I'll see you at the after party?"

"Maybe. I think I'm gonna go spend some time with Sharpay tonight."

"Alright, see you tomorrow then."

"See you."

Zeke walked toward the locker room, while Jason went over to join his teammates.

"Hey, Cross!" somebody shouted, attracting Jason's attention. A player from the other team was walking toward him, holding up a hand to stop him.

"Evans," Jason acknowledged, his smile fading as he saw the other player. He and Mark Evans had a bit of a history, having gotten into a fully-fledged fight the year before after a game. Jason had walked away with a black eye and a sprained wrist, while Mark had suffered enough of a concussion to knock him out for the rest of the season.

"Listen, man, I know we didn't exactly hit it off last year," Mark began, holding up a hand to keep Jason from walking away. "I just wanted to congratulate you."

"Thanks," Jason said warily, eyeing the other teen apprehensively.

"I heard about Bolton. I wanted to say that the whole team offers our condolences. Troy was a hell of a ball player, and we were sorry to hear about what happened."

"Thanks," Jason said again, shaking the other player's hand.

"See you around," Mark said, walking away.

"See you," Jason nodded, watching him walk away. He shook his head slightly, still amazed by the number of people Troy had impacted. Even though it had been over a month since Troy's death, people still came up to his friends to offer their condolences and sympathy.

"Jason? What's up?"

Jason shook his head, startled out of his reverie by one of his teammates.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. Nothing's up."

Jason smiled half-heartedly, turning back to join in the celebration. But this time his heart wasn't in it.

* * *

A/N: That was chapter ten. Hope you liked it. Once again, sorry for the delay. The next one should be faster. Reviews greatly appreciated, as always.

Coming in Chapter 11: Drew comes back…we check in on Sharpay and Ryan…Jack becomes suspicious of Kellie


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

A/N: So, this has become the mantra of this story: I'm sorry for the delay. I had a wake/funeral to go to and didn't have time to write. Sorry. :D I hope you'll like this chapter. The story is probably almost over.

P.S.-I've been watching Roswell season 2 a lot lately, so that's where I got the idea for the Gabi/Troy first scene from.

Also, this is a very Gabriella-centered chapter.

Enjoy!

* * *

Gabriella opened the door to the school gym tentatively, making sure she was alone before stepping inside. Streamers and balloons still littered the floor from the previous night, a testament to the celebration that had gone on. Stepping onto the debris-strewn floor, Gabriella looked around slowly, thinking back to the previous year's championship game and the last time she had stood here, with Troy.

Tears springing into her eyes, she bent down, picking up a tattered white streamer. She held it in her hands for a moment, closing her eyes.

"I miss you," she whispered, her voice barely audible in the large gym. "God, Troy, I miss you so much." Gabriella let the streamer fall from her fingers with a sob, the thin paper fluttering to the ground.

"I miss you, too," Troy's voice came from the vicinity of the door, startling Gabriella. She turned slowly, her eyes widening as she saw Troy casually leaning against the door frame, his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans.

"Troy?" Gabriella whispered breathlessly, crossing the room quickly to stand near him. She reached out a tentative hand to brush his shirt sleeve, trying to confirm that he was real. "You're not really here. You can't be."

"No," Troy said, shaking his head. "I'm not really here. But I'm still right here with you, all the time." Troy reached forward, placing his hand over Gabriella's heart.

"I wish I could really talk to you, Troy," Gabriella whispered, placing her own hand over Troy's. "I miss you so much."

"I know, baby," Troy replied, stepping forward and pulling her into his arms. "I know how much it hurts."

"Why are you here, Troy?"

"I'm here because you need me, Gabi."

"I don't know what to do, Troy," Gabriella whispered, laying her head on his shoulder. "I don't know how to move on."

Troy looked into her eyes for a moment, smiling slightly.

"You'll figure it out," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her gently. Gabriella pulled him closer to her, taking the kiss deeper. After several moments they broke apart.

"I wish you didn't have to leave," Gabriella whispered, closing her eyes as tears slipped from underneath her eyelashes.

"I'll always be with you," Troy whispered. "Never forget that. Always and forever." He smiled at her one last time, before slipping out of her arms and turning toward the door.

Gabriella watched him go, closing her eyes as she began to cry in earnest. Opening them again, she realized she was in her room, in her bed. Early morning sunlight streamed through her windows, brightening the room.

"It was just a dream," she whispered, burying her face in her pillow. "Just a dream."

* * *

Sharpay sat in the auditorium, watching the guys work their way through a routine. Ryan was leading the group as Tony, an up-and-coming sophomore right alongside as Bernardo. Sharpay herself had been awarded the role of Maria.

"Alright, people, that was splendid!" Ms. Darbus called from the audience, clapping as she walked up to the stage. "Let's move on. I want to work on the finale, so everyone up on stage!"

Sharpay sighed heavily, dragging herself to her feet and trudging up to the stage. She smiled half-heartedly at her fellow cast members, taking her place on stage.

"Alright people, this is the end of the musical. This is the part where Tony is shot and killed, we need this to be dramatic, yet convincing. Let's go!"

Sharpay stood at her assigned place, alongside the rest of the cast. She made it through most of the scene, but when it came time for Tony to be shot, she froze up. Images of Drew waving a gun, and Troy falling to the ground filled her mind, blinding her to anything else.

"Sharpay?" Ryan asked, noticing his sister's lapse in attention. Sharpay didn't hear him, too absorbed in her thoughts to notice. Suddenly, she turned on her heal and ran off the stage, tears streaming down her cheeks as she took off through the aisle of the theater.

"Sharpay? Sharpay!" several voices called after her. The cast was standing on the stage, watching as she ran from the theater and into the hall.

"What's going on?" Ms. Darbus asked, standing up and turning to watch Sharpay.

"I've got her, Ms. Darbus," Ryan called, taking off after his sister. He reached the hall, where he found his sister sitting on the floor, her face buried in her hands as her shoulders shook with uncontrollable sobs.

"Sharpay?" Ryan asked quietly, sliding down the wall next to his sister. "Shar? Are you alright?"

"I thought I had dealt with it," she sobbed, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I thought I had at least begun to understand it. But all I kept seeing was his body falling to the ground. All I kept seeing was the blood-"

"Don't think about it," Ryan whispered, holding her tighter. "Don't think about it, alright, Shar? I'm gonna help you get through this."

* * *

Drew sat in a wheelchair outside the Bolton's house, gripping the wheels so tightly that his knuckles were white. He had just been released from the hospital, and the first thing he wanted to do was apologize to Kellie and Jack.

"I don't think this is a great idea, Andrew," his mother whispered, standing behind his chair with her hands on the handles.

"Mom, I need to do this."

"Alright," she sighed, pushing him to the front door. She reached forward to press the bell, and they waited for an answer.

"Coming!" Kellie's voice called from inside, and moments later she yanked open the door, leaning against the frame with one hand. "Who are you?"

"Mrs. Bolton, my name is Andrea Richards, and this is my son, Drew. We just-"

"I don't want you here," Kellie spat, making to close the door. Drew reached out a hand to stop her.

"Please, Mrs. Bolton, I need to apologize. I am so, so sorry for-"

"Sorry? You're sorry? You killed my son! You expect me to forgive you like that?"

Drew shook his head, looking away from the glare that Kellie was shooting at him.

"I don't expect you to forgive me, Mrs. Bolton. I don't want you to. I just need you to know that I'm sorry."

"Don't come here again," Kellie said, shutting the door in his face.

"Who was at the door, Kellie?" Jack asked, walking down the stairs to the foyer.

"Nobody," Kellie said angrily, turning and walking into the kitchen.

"Kellie, wait!" Jack called, bounding down the stairs and following his wife. "Kellie!"

"What, Jack?"

"Was that-"

"It was the man who killed our son, Jack. Forgive me if I wasn't exactly welcoming," she spat, pulling a glass from the cabinet and filling it with water.

"Kellie, what's gotten into you lately?" Jack asked, stepping behind her and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Nothing, Jack. I'm fine, alright? There's just the minor detail of my dead son."

"Kellie, this isn't like you," Jack said, a hint of sadness in his voice. "You've changed."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Jack, but people tend to change when they lose someone they love." With that Kellie drained her water glass and stormed upstairs, leaving Jack alone in the kitchen with his thoughts.

* * *

Gabriella sat on the bench of the piano in the music room, an envelope in her hands. She fingered the flap on the back, unsure of whether or not to open it. Taking a deep breath, she slid her finger across the glue, opening the letter. She pulled out the tri-fold paper, closing her eyes as she unfolded it.

Opening her eyes, she took in the first few lines of the letter. The Stanford logo stood out in the letterhead, a reminder of her first choice school.

"We are pleased to inform you that your application has been accepted," Gabriella whispered to herself, her hands shaking as she read the letter. She had dreamt of this day for most of her life, the day when she would find out she had been accepted to the school of her dreams. Contrary to her visions, she felt no happiness, only a sense of numbness.

"I got in," she whispered. "I can't believe I got in."

She continued to stare at the letter, not really seeing the words. Sighing, she crumpled the paper, tossing it over her shoulder. She just didn't feel that she could bring herself to go to college anymore, not with everything that had happened. She didn't think she could move on. Biting back sobs, she began to play, the first notes of "Breaking Free" flowing from her fingers.

"Gabriella?" Ryan's voice asked quietly from the doorway, drawing her attention away from the piano. He crossed the room to her, bending to pick up the paper as he did. "Hey, Ryan," Gabriella whispered.

"Why was this on the floor?" Ryan asked, un-crumpling the paper and handing it to Gabriella. "Congratulations."

"It doesn't mean anything anymore," Gabriella said, putting the paper on top of the piano.

"Gabi, it does mean something," Ryan said, reaching out to bring her face toward him. "It means a lot."

"It meant a lot," Gabriella said, tears sparkling in her eyes as she looked into Ryan's.

"It can still mean a lot, Gabi. Troy wouldn't want you to do this. He'd want you to go. You know that, don't you? Deep down, you know that."

"I know, Ryan, but it's just-"

"I know this is hard, Gabi. But I can help you. I want to help you."

Gabriella looked into Ryan's eyes, searching his face as he looked into her eyes.

* * *

A/N: That's chapter 11! Yay! So Gabriella is trying to move on with Ryan's help, and Kellie is acting like a psycho. How fun!

Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!

Coming in Chapter 12: We check back on Chad, Jason, and Zeke…Gabi and Ryan part 2…Jack confronts Kellie


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

A/N: Wow, it's been a very long time…my computer crashed and I couldn't get internet access. We finally found the problem and ordered the part, and my dad got us a wireless router. So now I can update my fic from the comfort of my own room…lol…I hope you guys can forgive me and are still up to reading this story!

WARNING: This chapter contains heavy alcohol abuse.

Enjoy!

P.S.-I couldn't use the break button thingy so I just typed BREAK when there's supposed to be one.

BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK

Gabriella sat at the desk in her room, tears sliding down her cheeks as she flipped through the previous year's yearbook. She paused at a picture of her and Troy together at the junior prom, the smiles on their faces a stark reminder of the happiness they had once shared.

The crumpled letter from Stanford lay next to her yearbook, some of the words blurred by tear stains. Ryan had brought her home soon after their talk, and she had spent the last few hours thinking about what he had said.

"You should let him help you," Troy's voice came from the vicinity of her bed, startling her. She turned quickly, only mildly surprised to find Troy sitting on her mattress, holding her favorite teddy bear in his hands.

"Why are you doing this to me, Troy?" Gabriella asked, wiping away tears as she crossed over to sit next to him.

"You're doing this to yourself, Gabi. You keep bringing me back because you haven't let me go."

"I can't, Troy," Gabriella whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I can't let you go. You're everything to me."

"Gabi, I'm not here. You need to move on. You need to continue with your life."

"Troy, I don't want to move on. I want to be with you."

Troy sighed, tipping Gabriella's face toward his and brushing away her tears.

"Gabriella, I want you to move on. I want you to go to Stanford, to live your dreams."

"It's so hard, Troy," Gabriella said quietly, burying her face into his shirt as she pulled him into a hug. "It's so, so hard."

"I know, Gabi," he soothed, rubbing her back. "I know it's hard. But you're not alone."

"Why do I feel like it, though, Troy? Why do I feel so completely alone?"

"You're shutting everyone out," Troy said gently, pulling away from her slightly. "There are people trying to help you, and you keep turning them away."

"You mean Ryan," Gabriella stated, looking into Troy's eyes. He nodded, smiling slightly.

"He wants to help you, Gabi. Let him in. Let him help you."

"It's too soon, Troy."

"It's not too soon, Gabi. You need to let me go." He leaned in closer, pulling Gabriella into a small kiss.

"I'll try, Troy. That's all I can promise you," Gabriella whispered, leaning her forehead against his. "I'll try."

"That's all I'm asking," Troy replied, kissing her gently before standing slowly.

"I love you, Troy."

"I love you too, Gabi," Troy replied, turning away and starting towards the door.

BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK

Jason stood in the East High gym, holding a basketball in his hands. School had just let out for the weekend, and he wanted to spend a minute alone before meeting Kelsi for their Friday night date. The gym, ironically, happened to be the only place in the school that was deserted at that time of day.

Sighing, Jason threw the ball over his shoulder, walking toward the locker room. Basketball didn't hold the same appeal for him anymore. Even though he and Troy hadn't been the closest of friends, they had grown up together. He, Troy, Chad, and Zeke had been on the same team for years, suffering the same defeats and celebrating the same wins. Since Troy's death, the relationship between the remaining three had become strained at best.

To Jason's surprise, he found Zeke sitting by his locker, holding his game jersey in his hands.

"Hey," Zeke nodded in greeting, smiling slightly at his friend.

"Hey. Cleaning out your locker?"

"Yeah, you?"

"I wanted to find a quiet place to think about some stuff, you know?"

"Yeah, I know the feeling."

There was a moment of silence as Jason walked to his locker and pulled it open, taking out his own jersey and throwing it into his bag.

"Are you putting anything into that yearbook thing?" Jason asked, pulling out a pair of basketball shorts and adding them to the shirt.

"You mean the special page about Troy?"

"Yeah."

Zeke shrugged.

"I've got a few pictures from basketball and stuff."

"Me too."

"It just feels weird, though, doesn't it?"

Jason nodded.

"I know what you mean."

The two sat in silence for a moment, lost in their own thoughts. Sighing, Jason threw the last few things from his locker into his bag and shut the door, looking solemnly at it.

"You know, I just realized this is the last time I'll ever use this locker," he said quietly, looking over at Zeke. "I guess I just kind of forgot about all of that senior stuff with-"

"Me too," Zeke said, shaking his head. "I guess we just always figured we'd be doing this together. The four of us."

"I can't believe it's almost over," Jason said quietly, reaching up to finger his nameplate for a moment.

"I'm sure Troy felt the same way," Zeke replied bitterly, closing his own locker and ripping his name off the front. Jason nodded and pulled down his own name, falling into step beside Zeke as the two walked into Coach Bolton's old office. They threw the nameplates onto the empty desk, the small strips of white metal gleaming on the polished wood. "It just ended too soon for him."

BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK

Chad sat on the steps outside the school, his face buried in his history text book. He was waiting to meet Taylor so they could drive home together, but she was running late. Chad was using the book to avoid meeting anyone's gaze, trying to avoid contact with any of the other students.

"Hey!" Taylor's cheerful voice broke into his concentration, forcing him to look up.

"Hey," he replied, closing the book and standing up, leaning over to kiss her.

"How was your day?" Taylor asked, wrapping her arm around Chad's shoulders.

"Alright. Yours?"

"It was amazing, Chad. I have the best news!"

"Really?" Chad asked, his voice giving the impression that he could care less.

"I got into Northwestern! Can you believe it?"

"Northwestern?" Chad asked weakly, stopping and turning to face his girlfriend.

"Yes, Northwestern! Chad, aren't you happy for me?"

"Northwestern is in Chicago, right?"

"Just outside, why?"

"Chicago's far away," Chad stated plainly, throwing her arm off his shoulders.

"Chad, what are you talking about? I thought we agreed that we'd go to college apart. We agreed that we could make it work."

"Yeah, well, that was before."

"Before?"

"Before Troy died, Taylor! Before my best friend had his life viciously ripped from him in the span of a few seconds. Before my entire life changed."

"Chad, what's gotten into you? Why are you doing this?"

"Taylor, what if you go to Chicago and something happens to you? What if-what if I never see you again?"

Taylor gasped, comprehension dawning on her face.

"What if I lose you?" Chad asked, turning away so she wouldn't see the tears gathering in his eyes.

"Oh, Chad, that's not going to happen," she whispered, stepping forward and pulling him into a hug. "It's not going to happen."

Chad couldn't reply, his voice choked by sobs. He pulled Taylor closer to him and the two stood like that for several minutes, crying softly together.

BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK

Two weeks after their talk in the music room, Ryan and Gabriella met again in the same place, to discuss an idea for a tribute to Troy at graduation.

"Have you thought about Stanford?" Ryan asked, sitting next to Gabriella at the piano. Gabriella closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

"I've thought about it," she replied, placing her fingers on the keys and starting to play.

"And?"

"I'm not sure," Gabriella replied, pausing for a minute. She looked over Ryan's shoulder, startled by something she thought she saw in the corner of her eye.

"Gabriella? What's wrong?" Ryan asked, turning to look at the same spot.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. I just-nevermind," she replied, shaking her head and turning back to the piano. A second later, though, the same thing distracted her for a second time. Troy was sitting by the door, smiling at her.

"Let him in," he mouthed, nodding at her.

"Gabriella?" Ryan asked, touching her shoulder gently.

"Ryan?" Gabriella asked, turning away from Troy, slightly confused as she looked at Ryan.

"Gabi, are you alright? What's going on?"

"Nothing. Ryan, I just-I wanted to thank you for everything you've done. I know it's been hard for you, too, but you've stuck by me."

"You needed a friend, Gabriella."

"No, Ryan, you were more than that. These past few weeks, it's been hard. It still is. I don't know if it's ever going to get easier. But you still stuck by me. Thank you."

"Gabi, it's always going to be with you. I know that."

Gabriella nodded, her eyes darting over to Troy again. He nodded, as if giving her permission to continue.

"Ryan?"

"Hm?"

"Would you do me a favor?"

Ryan looked at Gabriella, slightly confused.

"Kiss me?"

BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK

Kellie lay on the living room couch, several empty bottles of beer surrounding her. Another bottle rested in her hand, from which she would periodically take a swig. Jack had been away for the past two weeks, visiting family and trying to get over the death of his son. For the whole two weeks she had done the same thing, downing several bottles of beer in one sitting, laying around the house and trying to drown her sorrows.

"Why did you have to take him away, God?" she slurred, turning her eyes toward heaven. "Why'd you take away my baby?"

Tears slipped from beneath her eyelids as she pleaded with God, taking another sip of the alcohol. Crying out in frustration and anger, she let the bottle fall to the ground, her hand laying limply out to her side. The sound of Jack's car pulling into the driveway didn't even faze her.

"Kellie?" Jack's voice called from the front step, as his key turned in the lock.

Kellie sat up half-way, panicking as she tried to hide the beer bottles. She wasn't quick enough, though, as Jack opened the door and stepped into the house.

"Kellie?" he asked in awe, staring at his wife sprawled on the couch.

"Jack?" she slurred, trying to stand up but falling back pathetically.

"Kellie? What are you doing?" Jack asked, stepping into the living room and picking up a few of the bottles. "Have you been drinking?"

"Just a little," Kellie said, waving her hand dismissively.

"Kellie, are you drunk? How long has this been going on?"

"Coupla' days."

Anger flashed across Jack's face as he crossed the room to her, picking her up from the couch and shaking her slightly.

"A couple of days? Kellie, what are you doing to yourself?" he yelled at her, anger coloring his voice.

"Nothin', Jack," Kellie slurred, struggling to free herself from his grip. "Leave me alone."

"Kellie, you're killing yourself," Jack shouted, tears falling down his face as he looked at his wife. "Troy wouldn't want this."

"Troy's dead, Jack! Or didn't you hear?"

"Kellie, this isn't you. This isn't the woman I married."

"She died when Troy died."

"You don't mean that," Jack said quietly, more tears falling down his face. "You don't mean that."

He stopped for a minute, looking sadly at her.

"I'm getting you help."

BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK

A/N: Well, that was chapter 12. I made it a little bit longer to compensate for the wait. I had some major, major difficulties writing it. I didn't know what to do, I wrote the beginning three or four times, and I just didn't know what to do with it. I hope it came out okay.

Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!

Coming in Chapter 13: Kellie goes to a rehab center…Ryan and Gabriella try to start something new…prep for graduation starts!


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

A/N: So, I hope the last chapter was okay. I only have one or two more left in me, so I'm starting to wind down the story. I hope you guys enjoyed it. I know it might seem like Gabriella's moving on too quickly with Ryan, but to clear that up, the last chapter took place in late April/early May. This chapter takes place in May, a few days after the last.

Enjoy!

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"Gabriella!" Ryan called, quickening his steps until he caught up to her.

"Hey, Ryan," Gabriella said quietly, not turning her head to look at him but continuing to walk toward her next class.

"Listen, Gabi, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to grab some coffee after school, you know, after we work on the song."

Gabriella sighed lightly, pulling Ryan to the side of the hallway.

"Ryan, I know I was the one who asked you to kiss me. It's just-"

"Just?" Ryan prompted, the smile on his face falling slightly as he listened to Gabriella.

"It's just-I don't know if I'm ready to move this fast. It's still to soon. You understand, don't you?"

Ryan nodded, forcing himself to smile.

"Of course, Gabi. I shouldn't have expected you to get over it so quickly. I'm sorry."

"No, Ryan, it's not your fault," Gabriella said, reaching out to take his hand. "If anything, you've helped me. You've helped me take another step toward accepting this and putting it in the past."

The warning bell rang, startling the two teens as they realized that they were going to be late for class.

"I'll see you later, Ryan," Gabriella called behind her, hugging him quickly before hurrying down the hallway toward her class.

"See you," he replied, turning the opposite way to head to his own class. As he walked down the hall, he mentally berated himself for being so open with Gabriella and expecting her to do the same.

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Sharpay sat in a seat at the back of the theater, watching as Ms. Darbus conducted a drama class. She herself currently had a free period, and she was using the time to mull over her thoughts in the solitude.

"Sharpay?" The quiet voice next to her startled her, making her turn around to face the speaker. Zeke was crouching in the aisle, his hand braced against the side of her chair.

"Zeke!" she said happily, remembering to keep her voice low so as not to disturb the class.

"Do you want to take a walk?" Zeke asked quietly, reaching forward to take her hand. He helped her out of the seat and the two walked out into the hall, letting their feet lead them without a destination in mind.

"So, how have you been?" Zeke asked, his fingers intertwining with Sharpay's as they walked. "I haven't really been paying attention to you lately."

"I'm alright," Sharpay said, pausing before amending her answer. "Actually, I haven't really been doing that great."

"Understandable," Zeke nodded, turning his head slightly to look at her. "I think you have the right to be shaken."

"It's just-it's been hard, you know? I mean, I was there. I watched it happen, and it's something that I'm always going to carry with me."

Zeke nodded, pausing his steps as Sharpay stopped, turning to face him.

"It just seems like everyone's already moved on. Ryan's chasing Gabriella like she's the greatest thing since sliced bread, and it just makes me wonder if he was even affected by the whole thing."

"I know what you mean," Zeke nodded, looking into Sharpay's eyes. "It seems like the whole school's already forgotten him."

Sharpay turned away, wiping at her eyes to try to hide the tears pooling there.

"I haven't forgotten," she whispered, falling into Zeke's embrace. He rested his head on top of hers, holding her in his arms as she sobbed quietly. "I see that day every night in my dreams. I can't forget."

"I'm sorry I haven't been there for you," Zeke whispered, hugging her close. "I'm sorry I've been wrapped up in my own thing."

"It's just-Ryan promised he'd be there for me. He promised he'd help me through it," Sharpay sobbed, burying her face into Zeke's shoulder.

"It's okay, now," he replied, rubbing her back comfortingly. "I'm here now, and I promise I'm not going to leave you."

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Kellie sat in the passenger seat of Jack's car, waiting for him to come out of the house. He had refused to tell her where they were going, merely telling her to wait in the car. Sighing, Kellie leaned her head against the cool glass of the window, trying to ease the pounding headache that was making itself known to her.

Suddenly, the front door swung open and Jack came out, carrying a duffel bag in his hands. He walked to the car and tossed the bag in the trunk before walking back to the front and getting in beside his wife.

"Are you going to tell me where you're taking me?" Kellie asked bitterly, glaring at her husband.

"You'll find out soon enough," Jack said, his heart breaking as he looked at his once vibrant wife. Kellie's hair was limp and dirty, being that she hadn't washed it in a few weeks. She was dressed in sweatpants and an old T-shirt, the clothes hanging off her now skinny frame. She had every appearance of a woman who had neglected her own well-being, drowning herself in alcohol and sorrow.

Kellie didn't answer him, merely returning to her former position, staring blankly out the window. After thirty tense minutes, Jack finally slowed the car, pulling into the parking lot of a large, white-hospital style building.

"Where are we?" Kellie asked apprehensively, eyeing the building warily. Finally, a sign on the front became visible, and her complexion paled considerably.

"Kellie, you need help. I'm only trying to help you," Jack pleaded with her, seeing her reaction as she realized he had brought her to a rehab facility. "I know this has been hard for you. It's been hard for me. But I can't lose you, too. Please don't make this any harder on me."

Tears were falling from Jack's eyes by the time he finished, blurring his vision. Kellie blinked back tears of her own as Jack pulled up to the entrance, finally understanding the pain she was causing her husband.

"Please, Kellie, do this for me," he whispered, reaching across the center of the car to grasp her hand. "Please."

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Gabriella sat at the piano next to Ryan, her fingers slowly picking out notes as Ryan wrote them down on the notepad in front of them. She paused for a moment, her fingers freezing on the keys.

"Gabriella?"

"Huh? Oh, I was just thinking for a minute," she replied, shaking her head slightly.

"About what?"

"Just about graduation. And about college."

"Can you believe it's only a month away?" Ryan asked, trying to make small conversation with her.

"Don't remind me," Gabriella whispered, closing her eyes and resting her forehead on her fingertips.

"So I heard the announcement about you being valedictorian," Ryan said, trying to change the subject. "Congratulations!"

He was startled, however, to see tears spring up in Gabriella's eyes.

"Or not. Gabi, what's wrong?"

"It's just-I remember this one day last year, when I pretty much failed a math test. Troy took me out for dinner later that night, and he cheered me up by telling me that it didn't matter, I was going to be valedictorian anyway. I hadn't even thought about it since then."

"Oh," Ryan said, apprehension dawning on his face.

"I know he'd be happy for me," she said, turning to face Ryan. "But it just seems bittersweet now, you know?"

"I do," he replied, reaching forward to brush the tears from her cheeks.

"We should get back to work," Gabriella said quickly, shaking her head and turning away from Ryan. "We need to have this ready by graduation."

"Gabriella?" Ryan whispered, tipping her face back towards him.

"Ryan?"

"I love you," he replied, looking into her eyes for an answer.

"What?"

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A/N: So, that was interesting. I hope you guys liked it anyway.

Reviews greatly appreciated, as always!

P.S.-I posted this yesterday, but I'm not sure it worked right so I re-posted it. Sorry if that confused anybody.

Coming in Chapter 14: One month later…graduation…how's Kellie doing…what's going on between Ryan and Gabi?


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

A/N: So, this is the last "official" chapter of the story. The next one is going to be an epilogue. I hope you all enjoyed the story and weren't disappointed by it. School is now underway (Junior year-eek!), so I'm not too sure when the next story is going to be posted. It's been fun, though!

NOTE: This takes place a month after the last, in June. The seniors are about to graduate.

Enjoy!

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"I can't believe we've only got two more days until we graduate," Sharpay said, dropping onto the step next to Gabriella. The senior class was milling around the outside of school, lounging on the front steps, waiting for graduation practice to start. Gabriella was sitting with Taylor, Chad, Jason, Zeke, and Kelsi, but Ryan was nowhere to be seen.

"It's so surreal," Taylor agreed, leaning back against Chad's legs. The latter brushed his girlfriend's hair from her face, leaning forward to kiss her on the forehead. Since their last fight they had been spending as much time as possible together, trying to make the most of every moment they had left.

"So, has anyone seen my brother?" Sharpay asked, looking around. "I haven't seen him since we left the house."

Gabriella shot a glare at her friend, who realized her mistake immediately.

"Sorry," Sharpay said, blushing slightly. "I forgot."

There was an awkward silence as everyone momentarily thought back to the day a month previous, when the current rift between Ryan and Gabriella had started.

FLASHBACK

"I love you," Ryan whispered, searching Gabriella's face for an answer.

"What?" she asked, her jaw dropping slightly as she gaped at him.

"I-I love you, Gabriella," he repeated, moving a little closer to her on the piano stool.

Gabriella stood up quickly, putting her hand up to stop him.

"I-I'm sorry, Ryan. This is too fast. I don't-I just can't, okay?"

Gabriella was still gaping at Ryan, unconsciously backing toward the door.

"Gabriella, I-I didn't realize you didn't-"

"I'm sorry," Gabriella said, turning on her heel and fleeing the room, leaving  
Ryan bewildered and alone at the piano.

FLASHBACK

"Listen, Sharpay," Gabriella said, turning to face the other teen. "I want Ryan to know, I never meant to hurt him. I just-he was moving too fast, you know? I'm not ready to forget Troy."

"He knows, Gabi," Sharpay replied, reassuringly patting her friend on the shoulder. "He's trying to give you his space, to give you time. But he knows."

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Jack sat in the living room, holding the cordless phone in his hands. Making up his mind, he punched in a series of numbers, bringer the receiver to his ear.

"Albuquerque Rehab, Angela speaking. How can I help you?"

"Hi, my name is Jack Bolton," Jack began tentatively, unsure how to proceed. "I was wondering-my wife Kellie, she's there, and I was wondering if-"

"Would you like to be connected to her room?"

"Uh, yeah. Thanks."

"One moment."

Jack closed his eyes, steeling himself while the operator connected him.

"Hello?"

"Kellie?"

"Jack?"

"God, Kellie, it's so good to hear your voice," Jack sighed, feeling relief that his wife sounded normal.

"It's good to hear from you, too, Jack," Kellie replied, happiness finding it's way into her tone of voice. "How are things at home?"

"I'm managing," Jack replied. "Listen, Kellie, there's something I need to tell you. About-about Troy."

There was a momentary silence as Kellie contemplated the statement.

"The school called. They're-they're going to give him an honorary diploma, and they've dedicated a part of graduation to him. They want us to be there."

"I can't, Jack," Kellie whispered, sadness evident in her voice. "You know I can't."

"I know, Kellie, I just-I thought you'd want to know."

"I'm sorry, Jack. I can't."

There was a click as Kellie hung up the phone, leaving Jack hanging on the other end of the line.

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"Is there anything anyone would like to share?"

Kellie looked around the room at the group gathered in the circle. She was in one of her group sessions of rehab, a time when the patients were asked to share their experiences and seek help from the group. Before now, she had remained silent, merely listening to the stories of others.

"I would," she said quietly, raising her hand. The facilitator nodded, and Kellie took a deep breath, steeling herself to answer.

"Hi, my name is Kellie, and I'm an alcoholic," she began, realizing that it was the first time she had admitted it to herself.

"Hi, Kellie," the group returned, all eyes focused on her.

"My-uh-my son, Troy, he was seventeen," Kellie began, taking a deep breath. "He was with his friends, when he-they were at a store-he-um-he was shot. By another teen, who robbed the store with his brother."

She broke off, brushing away the tears that pooled in her eyes. The other members of the group looked at her sympathetically. Gathering her senses, Kellie continued.

"He was shot in-in the chest. His girlfriend-she held him in her arms as he lay there, bleeding. The bullet, it-it hit his aorta. They brought him to the hospital, but-later on, he-he had a clot. He-he died. My only son, he died. On Valentine's Day."

Tears streamed down Kellie's face as she paused again, trying to avoid the looks of pity and sympathy that the other members of the group were sending her way.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I've just-this is the first time I'm talking about it. I couldn't deal with it, so I just shut the world out. I turned to alcohol to drown my problems. It was just too hard, too much. My husband found out, he sent me here. Earlier today, he called me. He just found out Troy's school is giving him an honorary diploma, and they want us to be there. When I realized I wouldn't be able to make it, it made me realize how wrong what I've been doing is. It made me realize that nothing is going to bring Troy back, no matter how much I miss him or how wrong I think his death was. I think today was the first time in months that I've actually felt anything other than depression."

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Gabriella stood to the side of the stage, listening to Principal Matsui speak about graduation. She ran her hands down the front of her crisp white gown, catching momentarily on the honor stole draped over her shoulders. She turned her head slightly to look out at the crowd gathered in the gym. The Class of 2007 were seated in the first few rows, rows of matching caps and gowns. Behind them sat their parents, siblings, and families, looking on with pride.

"And now, I'd like to ask our valedictorian, Gabriella Montez, to say a few words. Miss Montez, along with Ryan Evans, has prepared a song for us, dedicated to the memory of Troy Bolton." Principal Matsui nodded at Gabriella, who smiled nervously and walked up to the stage. Applause from the crowd greeted her entrance, and they all looked on in sympathy and pride, listening intently to her words.

"Good morning staff, parents, family members, and fellow students of the class of 2007. I think by now most of you know who I am, if only for the reason that I was dating the most popular boy in our class."

An appreciative chuckle greeted her words, and Gabriella smiled out at her audience, her eyes stopping momentarily on Ryan.

"It's been a tough year on us all, losing someone as loved as Troy was. But we've managed to get through it, together, and I think we've all come out stronger. I know that, when I came here last year, you all thought I was stealing Troy from you, making him go out for the musical. But I think we've all realized that it was for the better. This year, I think the whole basketball team might have shown up at auditions." She paused for a moment, her eyes twinkling as she looked at Jason, who had auditioned for the fall play, much to the amusement of all his friends.

"I can't say how great this last two years have been. I've been surrounded by so much love and support, and I'm not sure I always knew what to do with it. I think that our class is full of people who are willing to go above and beyond to help others. I think that we are all going to be successful in whatever we end up doing after today, whether it be college, work, military, or something else. We've come through a lot this year, but there's a lot more to come. Congratulations, guys. I know I'm proud of you."

Gabriella stepped back from the podium, smiling broadly as the audience clapped and cheered. Several people were smiling at her in return, showing her their support. Gabriella looked to Ryan in the audience, and noticed he was smiling the most of anyone.

_I love you_, he mouthed, knowing she saw him.

Gabriella, unable to answer, merely nodded, smiling at him.

_Soon_, she mouthed back, knowing he'd understand the meaning.

She may not be ready to love him yet, but she had a feeling that she'd be ready in the near future.

Fin!

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A/N: The end! Tear, tear…I'm crying…lol

Well, guys, it's been fun. A lot of ups and downs, but it's still been fun. I've really enjoyed this story, and I'm glad it got such a great response. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I hope you keep reading my work.

Peace and love,

Jetsfanforlyfe

P.S.- There's an epilogue posted…read it! (And the trailer for my next story, "The Longer You Stay")


	15. Epilogue

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

A/N: This is the epilogue to the story. It takes place five years after Troy's death. You'll understand everything at the end.

Enjoy!

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February 14, 2012

Gabriella stood at the foot of Troy's grave, looking sadly down at the small pile of roses there. A small circle of friends stood behind her, all bowing their heads as she bent down and threw a single white rose on top of the pile.

"I can't believe it's been five years already," Chad said quietly, pulling Taylor closer to him. Matching gold bands shone on each of their left ring fingers, announcing to the world that they were married. They had made the decision after their first year of college, Chad transferring to the University of Chicago to be closer to Taylor. Taylor's hand rested protectively on her stomach as she leaned into her husband's embrace. The couple was expecting their first child in six months.

"It seems like it was yesterday," she acknowledged, her mind taking her back to the final months of senior year.

"It does," Zeke nodded, looking across the circle to Sharpay. His former girlfriend was entwined in the embrace of her new boyfriend, a man named Andrew from her dorm. They had broken it off after graduation, realizing that there wasn't enough chemistry between them to make the relationship last. They were still close friends, though, and managed to keep in touch despite their busy schedules.

"I still have nightmares about it," Sharpay acknowledged, looking up at Andrew. He leaned forward, kissing her forehead.

"I still have a scar from that day," Jason joked, trying to lighten the mood. He gestured to his cheek, which still bore a faint white mark from the cut he had received in the fight with Chad.

"Where's Kelsi?" Chad asked, a faint blush coloring his cheeks.

"She couldn't make it. She wanted to stay home with Angie," Jason replied, smiling as he thought of his daughter. He and Kelsi had been married for a year, splitting a few months after the birth of their daughter. They kept in touch, for Angie's sake, and remained on good terms.

"Gabi?" Ryan asked, kneeling next to her and putting his arm around her shoulders. "Are you alright?"

"I still miss him, you know?" she said, wiping away tears. "It's been five years, and there's still a part of me that's in love with him."

"I understand," Ryan nodded, helping her stand. "I completely understand."

"Thanks for being so understanding," Gabriella said, leaning into Ryan's embrace. "I don't know where I'd be without you."

The group paused in silence for a moment, everyone remembering their friend.

"I guess we should be heading out," Chad said, breaking the silence. "I've got to work tomorrow, and Taylor needs to be home resting."

"I've got a research paper due next week," Zeke said, nodding.

"We should be going to," Sharpay added, grasping Andrew's arm.

"Kelsi's expecting me to pick up Angie."

"Thanks for coming out, guys," Gabriella said, looking back at the grave.

She entwined the fingers of her left hand with Ryan's, pulling him close as they walked away.

On her ring finger gleamed a small diamond, set in a thin silver band.

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A/N: I'll leave that one to you to figure out. It shouldn't be hard :D

P.S.-Read the trailer!


	16. The Longer You Stay Trailer

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

A/N: This is the trailer for my new story. This is going to be a little different than anything I've done. It's a Jason centric, and Troy and Gabriella are more like background characters. I wanted to do this because Jason had such a small part, and his character has so much room for development. This won't be an ensemble piece, it will be more along the lines of "This is How a Heart Breaks" than "Keep the Faith." It's a pretty heavy story, dealing with teen drinking, drug use, suicide, cutting, and depression.

Enjoy!

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**The Longer You Stay**

We see Jason and Kelsi in the park, smiling as they walk hand in hand. Jason leans over to whisper something in Kelsi's ear, and she laughs, pulling him closer to her and kissing him. The screen fades to black.

**They had everything going for them.**

The next scene fades in, and we see Jason pick Kelsi up and spin her around, both smiling. It is clear that something good has just happened.

**But one moment will change everything…**

We see a car driving along a road. Out of nowhere, another car appears, speeding toward it from the left. There is a bright flash of light, accompanied by the sounds of glass shattering and metal tearing.

The next scene comes in through the light, and we see Jason lying unconscious in a hospital bed. The camera pulls out and we can see Kelsi asleep in the chair next to the bed, her head resting next to Jason's legs. Her hand is tightly gripping his left, his right bound in a cast and lying across his chest.

…**a future will be destroyed…**

We see Jason sitting up in bed, a doctor standing next to him. The doctor is pressing down on his legs, frowning as Jason strains to lift them. The doctor shakes his head and writes something on Jason's chart. Jason slams a fist onto the bed and lets his head fall back onto his pillow in frustration.

The scene changes and we see Kelsi sitting in the chair again, looking sadly at Jason. He runs a hand through his hair and seems to struggle for words.

"Jase, whatever it is, you can tell me. I love you."

Jason looks at her, his voice choked by sobs. "Kelsi, I-I'm paralyzed."

We close in on Kelsi's face as she stares at Jason in shock.

…**two lives will be forever changed…**

We see Jason sitting in a wheelchair in the East High gym, holding a basketball in his lap. He attempts to shoot the ball at the hoop, but misses by a long shot. He groans in frustration. Turning violently, he freezes when he sees Kelsi standing there. She picks up the ball rolling toward her feet and starts to walk toward him.

"Give it time, Jase, it'll come back to you."

Jason's face darkens as he lashes out at her. "Kelsi, I'm paralyzed! What part don't you get? I'll never walk again!"

The camera changes to focus on Kelsi and we see that she is crying. As she says her next line the camera changes and we focus on Jason as she speaks. He is shaking his head in disbelief.

"Jason, I'm trying here! You're turning me away!"

" Kelsi, just leave me alone, okay?"

The screen fades out again, and we fade in on another scene. Jason is sitting in his wheelchair, twirling a small razor in his hands. As he lays the blade against his skin, we close in on his face. His expression changes from one of distress to one of contentment.

The scene changes again and Kelsi is standing in the door of Jason's house, his varsity jacket in her hands. He is sitting in his chair in front of her. Kelsi has tears streaming down her face as she puts the jacket in his lap.

" I just can't be with you anymore, Jason. I'm sorry."

Kelsi turns and walks out the door, burying her face in her hands as she runs to her car. Jason pauses, fingering the jacket for a moment. He groans in anger and flings the jacket against the wall.

**When everything seems to be too much…**

We see Jason lying in his hospital bed, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. He attempts to move his legs, but slams a fist into the nightstand when he fails. The stand falls over and clatters to the floor.

The scene changes and we see Kelsi sitting on her bed, dressed in sweats. Tears course down her face as she flips through pictures of her and Jason. She pauses on one of them looking particularly happy. Shaking her head, she tears the picture in half, letting the pieces fall to the floor as she falls back onto the bed and buries her face in her pillow.

…**we still find ways to survive.**

We see Jason in the gym, shooting baskets. He's drenched in sweat, but his face has a look of determination. Picking up another ball, he shoots, and the ball bounces on the rim, teetering for a few seconds before dropping in. He smiles to himself in triumph.

The scene changes and we see Kelsi standing in Jason's doorway again, wringing her hands as she looks at him.

The scene changes again and we see Jason sitting in a psychiatrist's office, talking to the doctor. She nods and writes something on her notepad.

The scene changes one more time and we see Jason rolling his wheelchair down the hallway at school, smiling at someone off camera.

**Ryne Sanborn**

We see Kelsi at the piano, writing a song. She looks up as Jason wheels himself over to her.

**Olyesa Rulin**

**The Longer You Stay**

We see Kelsi kneel in front of Jason and lean forward, wrapping him in a hug.

**Coming Soon to a Computer Near You!**

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A/N: I hope you guys enjoy reading this! Look for it at the end of the summer!


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